550 



ULEAN1NG8 IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 1 



General Correspondence 



PERCOLATING 



OR SELF-ACTING 

 FEEDERS. 



SYRUP- 



Soraething Invaluable for Out-apiaries. 



BY SAMUEL SIMMINS. 



In the early 80's I was able to offer bee- 

 keepers several feeders of peculiar construc- 

 tion, enabling them to feed without boiling 

 the syrup. One has simply to put in the 

 lump sugar and water, cold or warm as de- 

 sired, in the proportion of 2 lbs. of sugar to 

 one pint of water; and without any stirring 

 or shaking up, that quantity of water will 

 combine with the lump sugar, forming syr- 

 up of the desired consistency for winter stor- 

 age; while for spring feeding or times of 

 scarcity in warm weather a slightly larger 

 proportion of water will, of course, act more 

 rapidly. 



The lump* sugar is raised or suspended 

 in a perforated chamber so that it can not 

 clog or settle in a mass on the main base of 

 the feeder,t and hence in a few minutes it 

 is reduced to the formof syrujiof the correct 

 consistency. Syrup cans, as well as large 

 cisterns, were adapted to the same principle: 

 but where usfd as cisterns for reducing large 

 quantities it is found an advantage to ])lace 

 the sugar in a bag within the metal strainer. 



The illustration of the self-acting syrup- 

 can. Fig. 1, will explain the construction of 

 a larger cistern, excei)t that the latter has a 

 honey-valve or top instead of a spout for 

 drawing off the syrup. My circular "Ama- 

 teur" all-metal feecler, shown in circular 



* Neither raw nor moist sugars aiipear to bedesir- 

 al)le as winter feed in .severe climates. 



tThis i)oint is of great imijortance. If sugar once 

 clogs tlie lloor of the feedei- it can not_be taken up 

 by the water in the form reiiuired. 



I.— siminlns' self-acting syrup-can. The sugar-container (at the left; is 

 held one Inch from sides and bottom. 



form, Fig. 2, 

 for use over a 

 hole in the 

 quilt or crown 

 board, is, per- 

 haps, the most 

 remarkable il- 

 lustration o f 

 the perfect 

 manner in 

 which the syr- 

 up and water 

 amalgamate, 

 and is a sketch 

 of the very 

 first model 

 that was made 

 to fit my the- 

 ory that sugar 

 so suspended 

 in water would 

 act in the 

 manner I re- 

 quired. 



I have al- 

 ways used the 

 proportion of 

 two pounds of 

 loaf sugar to 

 one pint of 

 water as win- ^i^. 2.— circular "Amateur" 

 ter feed, and feeder, lower part in cross-sec- 

 no granula- tion, the central passage lYi in. 

 t i o ri t .1 L- o o diameter: and Yn in. space where 

 1 1 u n I ci K e s jjggj, tjjj.g {QQjj j^ji round the cen- 



place, though ter is capped with a glass top. 

 no acids are 



used. Where sugar is boiled in making 

 syrup, too much moisture is evaporated, 

 and consequently the food granulates after 

 storing. Hence when 1 have been frequent- 

 ly asked for my opinion upon this trouble 

 I have always advised that, when made 

 over a fire, the sugar syru]i be heated no 

 longer than is necessary for melting the 

 whole by constant stirring meanwhile, to 

 hasten the i)rocess; moreover, it is desira- 

 ble to pour boiling water into the sugar for 

 the same reason 

 where no percolator 

 is used. 



Though it is desir- 

 able to use water at 

 quite 100° for au- 

 tumn feeding, I may 

 say that the self-act- 

 ing feeders answer 

 quite as well (as far 

 as the process is con- 

 cerned), when cold 

 water is first inserted. 

 Feeding above the 

 frames, for which my 

 circular self-acting 

 feeder was designed, 

 is largely adopted in 

 (ireat JJritain; but it 

 has never been a 

 favorite way wi i li 

 myself, as I use no 

 holes through Uie 

 covers (quilts or 



