2()6 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



October 



the tin vessel, upon which the combs 

 are to be laid. Now from your teapot 

 filled with syrup, pour a small stream 

 into the cells of the comb, holding the 

 pot a foot or more above the comb, so 

 the falling syrup will foice the air 

 from the cells so they \s'\\\ be filled. 

 Pass the stream over the comb so that 

 all or nearly all of the cells on one 

 side are filled, in the same way. 

 When filled, hang the combs in your 

 honey carrier, or some convenient 

 vessel, to drain for a little while, when 

 it is ready to be used in any spot or 

 place the same as a frame of honey. 

 In filling the combs the sides of the 

 can will keep the syrup from spatter- 

 ing about the room, and what there is 

 caught therein can be turned into the 

 teapot again, so that no loss will oc- 

 cur. Where fifty to 100 combs are to 

 be filled, I use a watering pot instead 

 of a teapot, upon the nozzle of which 

 is fixed a tin " rose," which slips on to 

 the nozzle the same as does that used 

 in spraying plants, but instead of its 

 being like the ' ' rose " used for plants, 

 which throws several streams out from 

 the pot, this "rose" is fixed so that 

 the under side of it is a level flat piece 

 of tin about two inches square, hav- 

 ing the required number of holes 

 punched in it, while the rest of it is 

 soldered up tight. Have it beveled 

 so that it will stand just level when 

 your watering pot is inclined enough 

 to pour a stream when filled oiie-half 

 full of syrup, and you will have it 

 just right. Now place the empty 

 combs in the can as before, fill the 

 watering pot with syrup and pour 

 away. Instead of filling but one cell 

 at a time, as was done with the teapot, 

 this will fill a space of comb two 

 inches square as quickly as the other 



did one or two ceils, and where no 

 very large amount or wholesale feed- 

 ing is to be done, I prefer it to any 

 other method of filling combs with 

 syrup. If I have the whole apiary of 

 100 colonies or more to feed, then 

 either of the above plans are too slow 

 to be profitable. If the whole apiary 

 is to be fed then I proceed in this 

 way : An extractor can is placed up- 

 on a bench about three feet high and 

 into this the syrup is poured. Prev- 

 ious to this I have procured a tin dish 

 made something like a baking tin the 

 exact size of my frame, the bottom of 

 which is punched full of holes about 

 one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, 

 said holes being about one-half inch 

 apart each way. These holes should 

 be punched from the inside, so that 

 the syrup will fall from each hole in 

 a separate stream. Place this dish 

 under the faucet to the can contain- 

 ing the syrup. Immediately under 

 this dish place another can if you 

 have it (if not a washtub will answer) 

 and you are ready for business. If 

 you wish to make the best time pos- 

 sible, have an assistant to hand you 

 the empty combs and take the filled 

 ones ; roll up your sleeves and hold 

 the combs near the bottom of the can, 

 or low enough down so that the air 

 will be forced out of the cells by the 

 falling syrup, turn the faucet so that 

 the required amount of syrup will be 

 in the dish all the time, and you can 

 fill the combs as fast as the assistant 

 can hand them to you and take the 

 filled ones away. When filling a 

 large lot of combs, it is very handy 

 to have a special rack fixed near the 

 can, upon which to hang the combs to 

 drain. By placing under it the re- 

 quired number of large sheets of tin, 



