The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-12-10
THE CARE OF BEES IN WINTER

Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
The management of bees in the fall
is very important point with the bee
keeper. His stocks require close at
tention to see if they have sufficient
stores to carry them safely through the
winter. The time for this purpose is
in October and November. If any
stock has not sufficient stores it should
be supplied with honey or syrup, but
where stocks are weak both in bees
and honey it ia a good plan to unite
two or three, Ct enough to make one
good stock. At this season there will
be very little brood remaining in such
colonies. The surplus empty combs
can be stored away until next season
and given to new swarms. If the bee
keeper sires to retain all his stocks
he should at cnce begin feeding honey
or syrup
Syrup is made by taking one pound
of white sugar to one pint Of water, or
eight pounds of sugar to one gallon Of
water, and boiling the mixture until all
has been completely dissolved, If this
makes a gallon the syrup will be of the
right consistency, but if no. add more
water. If two much water has been
added boil it again until the right
amount has been obtained
The best way to supply the food is to
have very shallow vessel, not more
than half or three quarters of an inch
in depth; in which dry comb is laid, on
which the food is poured to keep the
bees from downing. This feeding pro
cess should be done during the night
to prevent bees from robbing A hole
should be made in the top of the hive
and the food placed by the side of it in
the evening, with cover to protect it
from robbers. The bees will remove
the supplies during the night, and next
morning the vessels should be taken
away before bees begin to fly out.
Besides this syrup, candy and honey
mixed or sticks of candy may be given
to bees. The candy and honey may be
put into a coarse cloth, placed in the
top Of the hive close to the bees, and
covered so that no heat can escape
When either honey or syrup is given
to stocks it should be in sufficient guam
titY to induce the bees to cap is. Not
less than ten pounds of sugar should be
given to each stock
Vine" it is possible, honey should be
given in sealed combs. This is a great
saving OF honey, as the bees will neces-
sarlly consume a good portion Of liquid
honey to convert into comb to seal the
honey stored in the cells. As a general
thing bees gather sufficient stores from
the aster IN the fall TO carry them
through the winter.
These who winter their stock in eel
lars or other warm places should on
warm, pleas ant days remove them, so
the bees can fly out and discharge their
faces Il often happens that very good
stocks ere lost by neglect of this point
Bees are COZ fined through the long
winter months until late in the spring
without an opportunity to discharge
their fecea, and it is at such times they
are compelled to discharge them, and
the stock is totally ruined.
Bees that remain intheir stands will
rarely need any protection from the
winters cold further than good shelter.
The bess will pass the time more quiet
ly and consume less honey. If they
are placed so as to receive the southern
exposure on mild days they will fly
out which gives them an opportunity
to discharge their feces. All stocks
which have a southern exposure should
be provided with a screen to prevent
the warm rays Of the sun from falling
on the hives, tempting the bees to fly
when they will be unable to return.
Where stocks are very strong it is
necessary to give the bee upward ven
tilation to prevent condensation of
moisture in the hive.
If these suggestions are faithfully
carried out there is no reason why the
bee keeper should not succeed in carry
ing his bees safely through the winter.
j. w. Hunter, N. @ Experiment
S alton.
" hetever you do, don't begin to
Sl@Sn down your fine timber with the
axe this winter, Clear no forast land
save the timber. You can pIow deem
ana Improve the land alreadv in o,,1,i