CHAPTER XXI. 



FEEDING. 



Troughs — Dangers of this Method — Bottle Feeders — Cheshire's Feeding 

 Stage — Neighbour's Can Feeder — The "Round Feeder" — Autumn 

 Feeding — Spring Feeding — Uses of Precautions — Summer Feeding 

 of Swarms — Flour-cake — Barley-sugar or Sugar-cake — Mr. Hunter's 

 Recipe. 



We have already spoken of the advantages con- 

 sequent on feeding swarms for a few days after they 

 emerge, especially if the weather should be wet, cold, 

 or dull. It is even more important to see that in 

 spring and autumn, if the stocks require food, it is 

 given to them. With the old-fashioned skep there 

 are difficulties in the successful supply of nourish- 

 ment. The ordinary plan used to be to take a piece 

 of elder-wood, and having cut it down the middle, 

 and having removed the pith, to stop the open 

 ends, or manage to have a knot at each, and then, 

 having filled these long narrow troughs with syrup, 

 to insert them into the hive by the entrance hole. 

 Several disadvantages attend this plan. Firstly, 

 there is the danger of spilling some of the liquid, 

 and so inducing visits of bees from near hives, and 

 setting up " robbing," with its disasters. Next, it 

 is almost impossible, without constant attention, to 



