246 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



quarts of boiling water ; stir it well 

 and when it is clear set it aside. I 

 find it is not necessary to boil it. A 

 perfect feeder suitable for use on all 

 occasions has not yet been produced ; 

 but the one I like by far the best for 

 fall feeding is simply the common 

 Mason's improved glass top, one and 

 two quart jars. 



The way I use them is this. Re- 

 move the glass cover and in its place 

 put a perforated tin disc which can 

 be found at any tin shop, screw on 

 the zinc collar and it is held firm. 

 Then I want a half inch thick board, 

 cleated on top to prevent warping, 

 to place over the frames ; a hole is 

 sawn in the centre large enough to 

 admit the muzzle of the feeder. Cut 

 a piece of wire cloth five inches 

 square, mould it into the shape of a 

 straw hat. This must just fit into 

 the hole and lack one-eighth inch of 

 being flush with" the under side of 

 the board, and a few tacks through 

 the brim will hold it fast. This wire 

 cloth answers the double purpose of 

 supporting the feeder and keeping 

 the bees below when refilling. After 

 a time it will get fouled with propolis, 

 but can be easily cleaned by applying 

 a little heat from a lamp. When all 

 is ready, fill the feeder and invert it 

 over a vessel to save the drops that 

 will fall. Then place it in the hole 

 and the feed will flow no faster than 

 the bees take it. The capacity of 

 the feeder being known makes it 

 easy to estimate the amount being 

 fed. In changing feeders from hive 

 to hive there is no need of a smoker 

 as the bees are confined by the wire 

 cloth. 



Lynn, Mass. 



BEEKEEPING FOR WOMEN. 



By Mrs. Sallie E. Sherman. 



Why is it that there are so few 

 beekeepers among women ? It cer- 

 tainly cannot be that they are not 

 adapted to the pursuit, for some of 

 our most successful apiarists are wo- 

 men. I am quite sui;e that it is a 

 much more healthful occupation than 

 sewing on the machine or than fol- 

 lowing many other occupations that 

 many of our sisters follow for a liveli- 

 hood. I'll tell you that if more of 

 you would join our ranks and get 

 out of the house where you could 

 breathe the pure fresh air, you would 

 be more healthy and add a good 

 many more dimes to your meagre 

 income, to say nothing of having 

 pure honey upon your own tables of 

 your own raising the whole year 

 round. You would not then have to 

 consider it a luxury too dear to have 

 only occasionally at long intervals. 

 Just think of the thousands, yea, 

 millions of flowers that annually 

 " waste their sweetness on the des- 

 ert air," for the want of the little 

 busy little bees to gather and store 

 it for the use of man. But if you 

 decide to go into the business, you 

 should undertake it intelligently and 

 with the full determination to make 

 a success of it. 



There must be no such thing as 

 "give up" in your composition. If you 

 fail try, try again and keep trying. 

 Only get one, two or at most three 

 colonies to begin with ; get a good 

 text book and study it diligently and 

 carefully, and then practise its teach- 

 ings. Not do like a good lady of 



