FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 107 



out-apiaries. When going to an out-apiary a bag of sugar was 

 taken along. Water was put in the wash-boiler on the cook- 

 stove and a good fire built under it. A good-sized tin pail was 

 filled half full or more with the heated water, then sugar was 

 poured in tUl the pail was nearly full, and it was stirred with 

 a stick till fairly well dissolved, which did not take very long. 

 The syrup was then poured into the feeder on one of the hives, 

 a pail half full of water was taken in and poured into the boil- 

 er, and then another colony was fed, and this was continued till 

 all the feeders were supplied. The next day or so the feeders 

 were shifted to another set of hives, until all were fed. 



FEEDING IN JUNE. 



You will notice this is considerably different from the early 

 spring feeding. The colonies were stronger in June, the 

 weather warmer, and the bees made rapid work carrying down 

 the feed. It was better to dissolve the sugar before putting it 

 in the feeders- (perhaps it is better at any time), for then there 

 was no danger of having dry sugar left in the feeder. Perhaps 

 there was no real gain in using hot water when the colonies 

 were strong and the weather warm. I tried cold water in some 

 cases, and it worked all right, only it took more stirring. 



ORIGINAL MILLER FEEDER. 



Most of my feeders are of the original pattern (Fig. 40). 

 At rig. 41 is seen one of them dissected. The lower part is an 

 ordinary section-super. On this rests the feeder proper, with 

 the little board at one end removed, also the little board at one 

 side, so as to show the inside wall under which the syrup may 

 flow, and the outside wall, which lacks enough of coming to the 

 top so that the bees can come up over it and go down into the 

 feed. 



IMPROVED MILLER FEEDER. 



The improved Miller feeder of the catalogs, instead of 

 being all in one has two parts, and the bees go up through the 

 middle. I thought it was an important improvement to allow 



