266 



7 years. Father has 15 colonies, but 

 only last year he decided to adopt this 

 system altogether. 



Mr. Thos. Wildman spoke of a large 

 hive giving 400 lbs. Mr. Quinby favored 

 a large hive, and Mr. Langstroth used 

 large hives. Onr bees wintered in the 

 cellar have come through in splendid 

 condition. 



Strawtown, Ind., April 3, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Division-Board Feeder. 



PROF. A. J. COOK. 



The requisites of a good feeder are : 

 Cheapness, a form to admit quick feed- 

 ing, to permit no loss of heat, and so 

 arranged that we can feed without in 

 any way disturbing the bees. The 

 feeder (see engraving) which I have 

 used with the best satisfaction, is a 

 modified division-board, the top-bar of 

 which (b) is two inches wide. In the cut 

 the lower part of the face of the can is 

 removed to show float, etc. From the 

 upper central portion, beneath the top- 

 bar, a rectangular piece the size of an 



oyster-can is replaced with an oyster- 

 can (g), after the top of the latter has 

 been removed. A vertical piece of wood 

 (d) is fitted into the can so as to sepa- 

 rate a space about one inch square, on 

 one side from the balance of the cham- 

 ber. This piece does not reach quite to 

 the bottom of the can, there being a 

 one-eighth inch space beneath. In the 

 top-bar there is an opening (e) just 

 above the smaller space below. In the 

 larger space is a wooden float (/) full of 

 holes. On one side, opposite the larger 

 chamber of the can, a half-inch piece of 

 the top (c) is cut off, so that the bees can 

 pass between the can and top-bar on to 

 the float, where they can sip the feed. 

 The feed is turned into the hole in the 

 top-bar (e), and without touching a bee, 

 passes down under the vertical strip [d) 

 and raises the float (/"). The can may 



be tacked to the board at the ends near 

 the top. Two or three tacks through 

 the can into the vertical piece [d) will 

 hold the latter firmly in place ; or the 

 top-bar may press on the vertical piece 

 so that it cannot move. Crowding a 

 narrow piece of woolen cloth between 

 the can and board, and nailing a similar 

 strip around the beveled edge of the 

 division-board makes all snug. One of 

 our students suggests the name " Per- 

 fection," for this feeder. The feeder is 

 placed at the end of the brood-chamber 

 and the top-bar covered by the quilt. 

 To feed, we have only to fold the quilt 

 over, when with a tea-pot we pour the 

 feed into the hole in the top-bar. If a , 

 honey board is used, there must be a 

 hole in this just above the hole in the 

 division-board feeder. In either case, 

 no bees can escape, the heat is confined, 

 and our division-board feeder is but 

 little more expensive than a division- 

 board alone. 



The best time to feed is just at night- 

 fall. In this case the feed will be carried 

 away before the next day, and the dan- 

 ger to weak colonies from robbing is not 

 so great. 



In feeding during the cold days of 

 April, all should be close above the bees 

 to economize the heat. In all feeding, 

 care is requisite that we may not spill 

 the feed about the apiary, as this may, 

 and very generally will, induce robbing. 



Lansing, Mich., April, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Apiculture in Florida, &c. 



R. H. M'lNTYRE. 



It is with much pleasure as well as 

 profit that I read the Journal, every 

 month, and have ever since its first pub- 

 lication. I made the acquaintance of 

 its late much lamented editor, Mr. 

 Samuel Wagner, in 1864, when I had 

 charge of a large apiary belonging to 

 the government hospital for insane at 

 Washington. Bee culture lost with him 

 one of its most able and talented advo- 

 cates, and society a pure-minded, genial 

 gentleman. I am glad to say that I 

 think the Journal has ably kept its 

 place as the leading bee publication of 

 America, and Ldoubt if it has a superior 

 in the world. 



We know nothing of the troubles of 

 wintering here. There is no month in 

 the year that bees do not gather both 

 honey and pollen. I have reared Italian 

 queens, had them become fertilized and 

 lay, every month since last June. My 

 bees had more honey in their hives on 

 March 1st than they had November 1st. 

 We do not have as great yields of honey 



