54 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For the American Bee Journal ] 



Cheap Bee-Feeder. 



Let me tell the readers of the Bee Journal 

 what kind of hee-feeder I use, and how made. 



Take a common gill glass, or a half-pint 

 tumbler, fill it with honey or sugar syrup, draw 

 over it a piece of coarse muslin, and secure it 

 by a small india rubber band. Then open one 

 of the boles in the honey-board, and invert the 

 glass or tumbler over it. The bees will suck 

 out its contents at their leisure. Being air-tight 

 the honey or syrup will not pass down faster 

 than the bees require. When used on a nucleus 

 hive, invert a tin cup or small earthen pot over 

 it, to keep away flies, wasps, and bees. 



A larger tumbler may be used when we wish 

 to give the bees a larger supply of food, to serve 

 in case of absence. 



Such a feeder costs only a trifle, and is with- 

 in the reach of all. J. Goden. 



Belle Plain, Va. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bee-Feeders. 



A good bee-feeder can be made of any bottle, 

 of any size from two ounces to two pounds. 



But one having a short wide neck and a short 

 dumpy body, with a square or nearly square 

 shoulder is the best. To use, fill up full with 

 honey, sugar syrup, or water ; tie a piece of 

 fine cotton cloth over the mouth, and place the 

 neck of the bottle in a hole over the cluster 

 of bees. 



But one that I prefer is made of a glass self- 

 sealing fruit jar— of the Hero, or any other self- 

 sealing screw-top pattern. In the centre of the 

 top punch fifteen to twenty holes. Over the 

 holes solder a piece of fine perforated tin, such 

 as is used in strainers. Around the edge of the 

 top, outside, have a rim of tin half an inch wide 

 soldered, to keep the feeder from touching the 

 honey -board. To use, fill up with honey, su- 

 gar syrup, or water ; screw on the top, and 

 place it over a hole in the honey -board over the 

 cluster of bees. 



Liquid honey or sweetened water, to stimu- 

 late bees in the spring or summer, can be given 

 diluted, without any danger of its turning into 

 vinegar in the hottest weather ; and a month or 

 two's supply of water can be given at once. It 

 being air-tight, the water will always be good ; 

 and those who water their bees in the winter, 

 will find this a useful contrivance. 



Bees short of supplies in winter feed from the 

 above as quietly, and with no more excitement, 

 than if the supply came in the natural way. 

 JonN M. Price. 



Buffalo Grove, Iowa. 



A large number of straw hives is annually 

 made in France, and exported to Poland and 

 Southern Russia, where there seems to be a 

 regular demand for them. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



A Convenient Hive. 



Fellow Bee-Keepers : — I have been taking 

 notice of your welcome and instructive expatia- 

 tions in the Journal, and though I think I am 

 benefitted and also try to experiment and make 

 discoveries at home, I am at the same time aware 

 that I have yet much to learn. Still I am al- 

 ways pleased to find others speak their senti- 

 ments fully through the Journal. 



As I promised in my last to describe a conve- 

 nient hive, I will now give a brief description 

 of one. Then each may make one lor himself, 

 and judge of its merits on actual trial. I, of 

 course, would say it is the best in use, but for- 

 bear assuming that ground at this time. 



I make a right-angled triangular box, with the 

 entrance at the right-angled or square corner. 

 The movable side, or honey board, is the long 

 side, from which the frames are taken out. 

 The interior is so constructed that the hive can 

 be placed with either of the long corners up in 

 winter, and of course have the main quantity of 

 honey above them. In summer, or when honey 

 boxes are used, it can be turned with the en- 

 trance straight down. Then the honey-board 

 will be in a horizontal position, or level. But 

 while comb building is going on, it must have 

 one corner up ; then the bees will always build 

 straight in the frame. At least out of thirty- 

 two cases which I have examined, I have not 

 found one ins'ance in which the combs were 

 not straight, so that every one could be taken 

 out separately, without any cutting or binding. 

 Perhaps the reason of their building straight is 

 because the space between the base of the frames 

 is narrow at the upper angle. 



Now as this hive can be made for half the 

 money that most others can be made for, I only 

 ask each to make one for himself, and then 

 judge of its merits. If you cannot make them 

 from this description, send for the specifications 

 accompanied by drawings, and when you have 

 experimented with the hive, report through 

 the Bee Journal. S. B. Reploole. 



Martinsburg, Pa. 



Brooklin, Canada West. 

 We are having the best honey season we 

 have ever known in Canada. Swarms issued 

 as early as the 23d of May, which is two or 

 three weeks earlier than usual. Interest in 

 bee-keeping is steadily increasing — the result 

 of more extended knowledge of bee-culture. 



J. II. Thomas. 



Millroy, Mifflin Co., Pa. 

 The bees are doing well here this summer, 

 white clovtr being very abundant. Perhaps I 

 may give you some results after awhile. 



J. W. White. 



Pocahontas, M. 

 Bees were very forward here this spring 

 They commenced swarming in April. 

 It has been about an average year for honey. 

 J. C. Wallace. 



