362 A Modern Bee-Farm 
suitable for smaller quantities, saving much time and 
trouble in cooking ; the self-acting principle being the 
great feature in this, as in my Champion Feeders. Cold 
water reduces the sugar to the correct consistency, but 
hot water is best in cool weather. 
Inexpensive Bottle-Feeders. 
A double thickness of cheese-cloth, or old linen, being 
tied over the mouth of a common jam jar, the bottle is 
inverted and placed flat on a thin block at the back of the 
hive. If slow feeding is desirable, then use the plain side 
of the block as on the left: if faster then invert it over the 
grooved side ; or for rapid feeding, tilt the bottle up at one 
corner. Of course, in this case two or three of the combs 
are removed from the hive, and the plan is not only 
inexpensive, but has the advantage over top feeders in that 
the syrup is soon raised to the temperature of the hive, as 
also is the case with my frame feeders. These bottles can 
be used inverted close on the bare frames when in cool 
seasons it is found necessary to feed a stock. 
Feeding up 100 Colonies in a Week. 
A very simple feeder is one adopted by myself many 
years since, and by its use it is possible to feed up 100 
colonies in less than a week, each stock being capable of 
carrying 12 lbs. to 15 lbs. of syrup from the feeder to the 
combs in a single night; the best time for filling the 
feeders being about dusk, as this avoids robbers, and also 
prevents loss of bees through flying because of the sudden 
excitement. 
Good sound wood is selected, and plain boards fastened 
on each side of a frame of any desired width, the corner 
joints being tongued. Put the nails in rather close together 
and paint all joints with white lead before making up 
(Fig. 66). The syrup is poured in while warm, after 
