CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 91, 7 October 1911, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

BEEKEEPING. (To the Editor). Sir, —Mr F. A. Saudford's sugestion as' to a beekeepers' column in your paper is a good one, and will, [ hope, be carried into effect. I suggest a day in'each week (say Saturday) be set aside, and all notes and correspondence received be reserved for that day's issue. In reference to feeding, if extracting operations have been carried on well towards the close of the honey season, spring feeding is a necessity, not only to supply the actual requirements 'of the bees, but to induce breeding, that the colonies may be strong for the coining honey flow. ''Spring dwindling" often means spring starving, the remedy being to feed at once, not in kirge quantities, not even a little at a time, 'but a little all the time, and in the hive as any outside feeding will induce 'robbing. The best means of stimulative 'breeding is by gentle feeding and spreading the brood. This requires care in order that chilling may not result. One frame should be taken from the outsdde of the hive and placed in the centre of the brood-rest, the other frames being moved outwards. This, of course, should only be done when there, is hatching brood in the hive. As the colony gains strength more combs can be moved in, always taking care not to proceed too radidly or the brood moved outwards may become chilled, and die in the comb. As the' queen confines, her operations mainly to the central combs, this will keep her well supplied with comb for eggs, and the feeding will induce breed-

ing. Weak colonies should be strengthened now by having combs of hatching brood (one or two combs aeording to their strength, and thereafter, say one a week until they require no further assistance) from the strongest hives in the apiary. If a colony is too weak for nursing it shouldl 'be united with another colony, as one strong colony will prove more profitable to the apiarist than a couple of weakly oncs.-<-I am, etc., HYMETTUS.