IMPROVED COTTAGE HIVE. 75 



fed in the midst of winter ; the proper time is in the 

 autumn or in the spring. 



The best mode of feeding is at the top of the stock 

 hive. This is done by using the round feeder. 



The bottle feeder may be used instead of the round 

 feeder, and in the same place, by those who give the 

 preference to that method. 



Whilst on the subject of feeding, it may be well 

 to suggest to the bee-keeper, that, after the honey 

 harvest, he should ascertain the state of the stock-hive, 

 because we have sometimes found that hives which were 

 very strong during summer, and which have yielded 

 a good supply of honey, have been left rather 

 poorly off for the winter. No doubt, under the im- 

 pression that those nicely-filled supers which the bees 

 intended for themselves would be amply sufficient for 

 their sustenance, they have, for the most part, devoted 

 the space below to the queen for breeding, little ima- 

 gining that the precious store would be taken away, 

 and consequently have left themselves too small provision 

 for autumn and winter. 



The apiarian having, therefore, so richly reaped the 

 fruit of his bees' labours, it is but right that he should 

 guard against the labourers themselves suffering any 

 want therefrom. The state of the interior of the hive may 

 be ascertained by applying a weighing machine, and the 

 requisite supply administered by feeding. Both weighing 

 machine and feeder are described further on. 



