1830 William Howitt, Book of the Seasons. :- beehives require to be examined, and if necessary food supplied. This may be done by cutting a shoot of elder-tree of about ten inches long, and of the thickness of a finger, slicing off one side of it and taking out the pith, so as to form a troughm the joints of the shoot being left to form each end. This must be filled with honey, or in want of that sugar and beer or sugar and water, of the same consistency as honey, and gently thrust in to the mouth of the hive. The bees will come down and take the feed up, from time to time the trough must be filled afreash.
Who says we have to have all mod cons to keep bees.