256 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



the case of pasture lands, such of 

 those vigorous seeds as are allowed 

 to come to maturity and to fall in 

 the field will send up plants of a 

 stronger growth to take the place 

 of others that may have died out, 

 or to fill up hitherto unoccupied 

 spaces, thus tending to cause a 

 constant renewal and strengthen- 

 ing of the pasture. The agricul- 

 turist himself will be the best judge 

 of the value of such effects. — The 

 New Zealand and Australian Bee 

 Journal. 



{To be continued.') 



Feeding Bees on Dry Sugar, 

 BY Samuel Simmins. — For some 

 years past I have striven to solve 

 the problem of feeding dry sugar 

 to bees, and at last I am pleased 

 to be able to record that 1 have a 

 system of stimulative feeding which 

 enables me to give the sugar in 

 such a manner that there is not the 

 slightest waste ; the food is placed 

 where it is readily accessible to the 

 bees at all times, and during any 

 weather. I am saved all cooking, 

 m}^ feeders cost me nothing, and 

 require attention less often than 

 is necessar}' to examine hives dur- 

 ing stimulation. I find it no small 

 advantage to be able to dispense 

 with the daily '' round " with the 

 syrup can, and have nothing sticky 

 about. 



All my dummies are composed 

 of a frame of the usual size, but 1 J- 

 inches wide, or thick ; one side is 

 closed entirely with a board ^ inch 

 thick, while for the purpose of feed- 

 ing, the other side has a piece also 

 ^ inch thick, reaching from the bot- 

 tom to within | inch of the top-bar, 

 for the bees to enter by tlie slot 

 thus left, and this board is fastened 

 by a wire nail at each end near the 

 bottom edge, permitting it to open 

 out as if on hinoes. When closed, a 



wire nail is also driven nearly home 

 through the frame at each end, near 

 the top edge. These nails, thus 

 arranged, form a most simple but 

 effective hinge and fastening, and 

 those for the latter purpose are 

 readily withdrawn with the pinch- 

 ers wiien necessary-. 



When ready, the box is filled up 

 level with the slot with genuine 

 Porto Rico sugar, and then placed 

 to one side of the brood- nest, act- 

 ing as an ordinary dummy. P^ach 

 holds nearly three pounds at a 

 time, and according as one is al- 

 most emptied, another " dummy- 

 feeder " is inserted at the other 

 side of the brood-nest. At the 

 same time a sheet of American 

 cloth is placed next above the 

 fVames, and on this more than suf- 

 ficient water will condense to en- 

 able the bees to leduce the sugar 

 to syrup ; this they will do but 

 little faster than it is required for 

 brood rearing, and the queen is 

 never crowded out ; while the stim- 

 ulation is so great that, if sufficient 

 old stores remain in the combs, 

 spring feeding by this means need 

 not be commenced until nearly' a 

 month later than with syrup feed- 

 ers, and even then those colonies 

 having the dry (or rather moist) 

 sugar will take the lead. 



The most perfect system of stim- 

 ulative feeding with syrup is that 

 of giving a -'gentle, continuous, 

 supply," introduced, and so persis- 

 tently advocated, by Mr. Abbot. 

 By that plan we permit only a few 

 bees to work at the syrup at one 

 time ; and while the^^ know they 

 have a constant flow, they do not 

 know how much there is behind, 

 hence ihey proceed too cautiously 

 as compared with my box-feeder, 

 wherein many hundred can work at 

 the food, being aware that they 

 have a large quantity to depend 

 upon; thus a higher temperature is 

 induced, and brood-rearing goes on 

 just as it does during a honey flow. 



