FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 109 



fill it half full of granulated sugar; then fill nearly full 

 with water, all the better if stirred till dissolved ; cover 

 over the crock a thickness of flannel or other woolen cloth, 

 or else four or five thicknesses of cheese-cloth ; over this 

 lay a dinner-plate upside down ; then with one hand under 

 the crock and the other over the plate, quickly turn the 

 whole thing upside dow^n. Of course a smaller quantity 

 of feed may be used if desired. 



The feeder is then set over the frames of a colony, 

 an empty hive-body placed over, and all covered up so no 

 bee can get to it except through the regular hive-entrance. 



WATERING-CROCK. 



This crock-and-plate feeder is a good one for those 

 who like out-door feeding, if only a small quantity is to be 

 fed. It also makes a good watering-place for bees, if one 

 does not mind the trouble. Better than this is a six- 

 gallon crock standing upright with a few sticks of fire- 

 wood in it for a watering-crock (Fig. 44). A little salt 

 thrown into the water helps to keep it sweet, and pre- 

 vents it from being a breeding-place for mosquitoes. 



CORK-CHIPS FOR WATERING. •^ 



But I hit upon something that is so efifective, so 

 cheap, and so little trouble, that I can hardly imagine 

 anything better. Go to your grocer and ask him to save 

 you some cork-chips, such as he gets in kegs of grapes, 

 and probably throws away. Take a pail or other vessel 

 (I use a half-barrel), put in as much water as you like, 

 and on this put on so much of the cork-chips that the 

 w^ater will barely come up enough for the bees to reach. 

 A bee can not drown in this. When the water gets low, 

 a fresh supply can be poured in, and it does no great harm 

 to pour it directly on the bees. They climb easily to the 

 top of the cork after their bath. The cork remains ef- 

 fective throughout a whole season. 



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