27i 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



autumn. This manner of feeding 

 will not do, however, if there are 

 other bees in the neighborhood, or 

 in the fall of the year. By the side of 

 this syrup feeder I supply plenty of 

 rye meal and it is just fun to see 

 them carry it off. I discontinue all 

 feeding with the first bloom of the 

 cherry tree which will be about the 

 loth of May. At this time if I 

 have fed judiciously, my frames will 

 be well filled with brood way up to 

 the top bar and but litde food will 

 be found in the hive. The bees are 

 now ready for the approaching har- 

 vest. This closes up feeding opera- 

 tions for the year. 



I seldom have occasion to feed 

 during the summer months, but if I 

 should this is the way I should do it, 

 and this idea alone is worth in my 

 opinion a whole year's subscription 

 to the journal. Place the fall feeding 

 board with the three-inch hole, in 

 the centre of the hive ; then take any 

 tin cylinder three or four inches high 

 without top or bottom that will fit 

 into the hole in the board and set it 

 in the hole. Then fill it with the above 

 mentioned sugar dough and cover it 

 over. The food will pass through 

 the wire cloth no faster than the bees 

 take it and is much safer for a sum- 

 mer food than liquids which always 

 incite robbing. 



I saved a weak colony this sum- 

 mer that was being ruined by robbers 

 and on the point of starvation. The 

 robbers left and it built up rapidly 

 by the above plan ; but success will 

 largely depend upon having this food 

 of the right consistency which you 

 will soon ascertain by a litde prac- 

 tice. I have quite a number of the 



popular feeders lying round that 

 have been mustered out of service 

 for disability, among .the poorest of 

 which I count those that are used at 

 the entrance. These latter have all 

 been court-martialed and drummed 

 out of camp. To my beekeeping 

 comrades who have, "read a fiery 

 gospel writ in burnished rows of 

 steel," I give you a soldier's greeting 

 hoping some thought in these strag- 

 ling sentences may lighten the labors 

 of your "forward march." 

 Lynn, Mass. 



A GUIDE TO THE BEST 

 METHODS OF BEE- 

 KEEPING. 



5r J. L. Chkist. 



R. F. HoUerman, Translator. 

 (Continued from p. 228, Vol. III.) 



The grating is placed in line with 

 the entrance and the bees are almost 

 compelled to build their combs regu- 

 larly to it, so they build up the 

 pane .of glass only very seldom, and 

 also in winter and early spring mould 

 is seldom found even in damp 

 weather as the air has communica- 

 tion with all the spaces and can 

 draw through the combs. ^ 



'This grating is much preferable for a freer 

 passage of air and the tendency to regular 

 building of comb than a board witli a round 

 or square hole in the centre through which 

 the bees went on building. Tliia circum- 

 stance made me resolve even in the earliest 

 years to discard the board and favor the grat- 

 ing. On the former the capping of wax 

 from the winter stores and all otlier refuse 

 remains lying, which not only makes it 

 very dUncult lor tlie bees to carry out from 

 amongst tlie combs but it gives the motlis 

 nourisliment and a place to locate. Also by 

 many top stories through the irregular l)uild- 

 iiig and cross running combs the pane of 



