58 



At)VAisrcBb BEt;-cuLTtjRfi. 



ply comes from above. In both in- 

 stances, the sections in which the work 

 is the least advanced should be placed 

 nearest the source of supply. Thus it 

 will be seen that, in feeding back, the 

 sections that are nearly finished are placed 

 next to the brood nest, and above these 

 the grade that is about one-half comple- 

 ted. 



feeding produces little or no excitement; 

 still, at dark is the best time to feed, as 

 the annoyance of having robber bees fol- 

 low from hive to hive and dive into the 

 feeder reservoir when it is opened, is thus 

 avoided. The feed is given as fast as the 

 bees will take it. 



Close watch is kept of the sections in 

 the lower cases, and whenever a case is 



NEW STYLE, HEDDON FEEDER. 



The feeder used is the Heddon, which 

 is exactly the size of the top of the hive, 

 and placed above the sections. His new 

 feeder is unexcelled for this purpose, as 

 the bees take down the feed from both 

 sides. This might not seem important, 

 but it is, and for this reason, when the 

 feed is carried down upon one side only, 

 the sections upon this side are completed 

 first. When the feed is carried down 

 from both sides, the sections are finished 

 up very evenly all over the case. In this 

 feeder the reservoir is in the center, and 

 just over it a part of the cover slides back 

 in grooves. There is no contact with the 

 bees, no smoke is needed, no propolis is 

 disturbed, and the cover fits so snugly 

 that no odor of honey escapes to attract 

 robbers. 



The bees seem to be able to handle the 

 honey to better advantage when it is thin- 

 ned somewhat; say, one quart of water to 

 ten pounds of honey. I heat ten quarts 

 of water over an oil stove until it boils, 

 then mix with loo pounds of honey, stir 

 it up well, and it is ready for use. The 

 first feeding should be done at dark, as it 

 puts the bees in an excited state, and 

 trouble from attempts at robbing might 

 result. After the bees have become ac- 

 customed to finding honey in the feeder, 



found in which all or nearly all of the 

 sections are completed, off it comes; the 

 case above it is placed next the hive, and 

 above this case is placed a case of sec- 

 tions brought from the honey house, one 

 containing sections of the third grade, 

 that is, those in which the bees have 

 made the least progress. I continue to 

 bring in the cases of finished sections as 

 they are completed, replacing them with 

 the unfinished ones from the honey 

 house. When the stock of the latter is 

 exhausted, I am ready to begin to reduce 

 the number of colonies upon which I am 

 feeding back, and this is done as fast as 

 the sections are completed. 



During all this time, since the feeding 

 was commenced, I have been watching 

 each colony, and jotting down, upon the 

 cover of the feeder, its characteristics; 

 and in reducing the number of colonies, 

 those are rejected that have done the 

 least satisfactory work. I continue to 

 keep two cases upon each hive, and, as 

 the colonies work with greatly varying 

 rapidity, there is no difficulty, by chang- 

 ing about the cases, to keep next to the 

 brood nest those sections that are the 

 nearest completion. In gathering the 

 sections together upon fewer hives, I al- 

 ways take bees and all, thus I am con- 



