Vol. XT. 



MAY I, 1887. 



No. 9. 



Established in 1873. 



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^t!^^^^o^^'^''^'''\A. I. ROOT. MEDINA. OHIO. 



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THE 



T-SUPER FEEDER, AND SOME- 

 THING ABOUT ROBBING. 



f. C. MII.T.ER REPI-IF.S. 



T NEVER had any doubts as to the value of the 

 M remarks by the editor of Gleanings, append- 

 ^[ ed to the contributions of the various writers; 

 ■*■ but if 1 had ever had such douhls; they would 

 all be dispelled after reading: the remarks at 

 the close of my article on page 305. T can readily 

 see how an inexperienced person might have lots 

 of trouble by using- a leaky feeder over a very 

 weak colony of bees. I certainlj^ should not use 

 one in such a place; but without the wise words of 

 caution given by the editor, some beginner might. 

 I don't suppose it would be much trouble to wax 

 the corners, but some might prefer the simpler 

 plan of putting water in the feeder before using, 

 and letting it soak. I filled one with water, and it 

 leaked a little; but before long it soaked up so as 

 to not leak a drop, and I have no doubt it would 

 remain perfectly water-tight till allowed to drj- out 

 again. T think, however, I would always give feed 

 to bees in the evening, and then the leakage would 

 be cleaned up before morning. However, your 

 suggestion is wise: Try the feeder with water, and 

 don't tise till it is water-tight. 



You sa>', friend Koot, that the bees " would be 

 very likely to build combs between the feeder and 

 the honey-board." Now, hero you have me at a 

 decided disadvantage. I generally know pretty 

 well what ! am talking about: but in the present 

 case I must con less I don't, for 1 never used one of 

 these feeders. As a general rule. 1 don't believe in 

 speaking favorably of any thing till I havp given 

 it a fair trial; but in the present case I felt prett3' 



sure of my ground without trial; and as some who 

 were adopting the T super might want a supply of 

 feeders, it seemed too bad to let them invest in 

 something more expensive without telling at once 

 about this. 



The T super is i'g inches in dejith. The end- 

 pieces of the feeder are 4f8 inches in depth, and the 

 thickness of the bottom ('i inch) added to this 

 makes 4i, thus making the feeder come within ^4 

 inch of the bottom of the super. Add to this ?-4 

 inch the 1-inch bee-space of the honey-board and 

 we have a 's-inch space between the feeder and the 

 honey-board (not " nearly or quite an inch," friend 

 Root). I think it will be decidedly better to have 

 the feeder just 14 inch deeper, and then we shall 

 have just the bee-space between feeder and honey- 

 board, and it hardly seems to me they \vould be 

 more likely to build comb under the feeder than 

 under a super of sections. 



Now, having gladly admitted the justice of your 

 criticisms so far, I come to your last, and I just 

 won't agree to that. You say, " T would not think 

 of using Buch a feeder unless an outside shell be 

 placed over it and the super." I have fed pounds 

 and pounds of feed in T supers, with no outside 

 shell, using Pimplieitj- feeders and fi-quart tin pans, 

 which wotild allow the feed to come as near the 

 outside as the feeders in question, and 1 have no 

 recollection of ever having had any trouble. The 

 feeding was done, too, at a time when robbers were 

 bad. As already intimated, the feeding was gener- 

 ally done in the evening; and, besides, my T su])er8 

 are made of 's-inch stuff. The square joints are 

 also quite true and close, so a bee could make biit 

 little headway biting through. Don't think 1 never 

 have any bad cases of robbing. 1 believe my bees 

 will go through as thick a board as anybody's when 



