40 



THE BEE-KEEPER'S REVIEW 



a set of modern frames, (8) but, as now 

 made, with )'2-inch core, and practically 

 no loss at top and bottom, they hold 

 practically the same amount of honey as 

 eight modern frames. This is due 

 largely to the fact that four frames give 

 five bee-spaces between the combs, while 

 eight frames give nine bee-spaces. 



While it is true that one of my special 

 frames will cost considerably more than 

 a modern frame, it is a mistake to sup- 

 pose that four of my frames will cost 

 much, if any, more than eight modern 

 frames with full sheets of foundation. It 

 would not be a fair comparison without 

 full sheets of foundation, since my frames 

 are virtually full sheets of foundation; 

 and, moreover, are made with parafine 

 wax. With proper machinery for making 

 the special frames, they could, no doubt, 

 be made much cheaper. 



With this machine 1 have been fairly 

 successful in uncapping honey and ex- 

 tracting early in the season, but, later in 

 season the cappings seem to become 

 heavier and stronger, and it does not do 

 so well. It can be done, however, and is 

 only a matter of improvement. Taking 

 honey before it is sealed, somewhat on 

 the Alexander plan, is a great success 

 now. 



I wish to suggest the following plan in 

 connection with the use of this extractor; 

 a plan which I am going to test next 

 season. Have only one large brood-nest 

 (10- or 12-frame) for each colony. Be 

 sure that this colony is well stocked by 

 the beginning of the honey flow. Use this 

 brood chamber as long as possible with- 

 out the liability of swarming or the loss 

 of surplus. In any case, draw out four 

 frames of sealed brood, shake off most 

 of the bees, and form a nucleus with these 

 frames, for the purpose of rearing bees 

 with which to augment the working force 

 of the mother colony at the beginning of 

 the next fiow. In place of these four 

 frames, insert two of the special frames 

 in the old colony, one on each outer edge. 

 These frames will hold 10 to 12 pounds 

 of honey, each, and under my plan will 



enable me to take care of all the nectar 

 the bees may gather. The withdrawal 

 of this brood, and the insertion of the 

 empty frames, will serve a three-fold 

 purpose: Check swarming, provide for 

 surplus and extra bees, and give combs 

 for future use. 



THE SYSTEM AS NOW PLANNED. 



Just here I am going to venture on 

 entirely new ground, as far as I know. 

 Mr. E. W. Alexander claims to have 

 doubled his yield by extracting as soon 

 as the bees begin to cap the honey; 

 about every six or seven days during a 

 good flow. I have known colonies to fill 

 their supers in four or five days. This 

 being true, we should be able to obtain 

 two and one-half to three times as 

 much by extracting every day or two. 

 While Mr. Alexander and others claim to 

 be wholly successful in ripening honey 

 artificially, I am inclined to follow a 

 different plan. Fermentation is said to 

 be produced by certain bacteria. Fruits, 

 vegetables, etc., are preserved indefinitely 

 by subjecting them to a certain degree of 

 heat and sealing while hot. It seems to 

 me that honey or nectar might be pre- 

 served in the same manner. I have 

 tested this plan this year by extracting 

 nectar before it was sealed, heating it to 

 a temperature of 180° and, while hot, 

 sealing it air tight. 1 have some of this 

 nectar before me now, in Mason fruit 

 jars, and it seems to be as good as on 

 the day it was sealed. The result of 

 this test is also shown by the report on 

 same by Prof. E, F. Phillips, entomologist 

 of Washington. The object is simply to 

 devise some plan by which the nectar can 

 be preserved for a short time, unimpaired 

 in any manner, and then given back to 

 the bees and ripened, as extracted or 

 comb honey, when the bees have nothing 

 else to do. If it is desired to produce 

 comb honey, the two special frames are 

 removed, and. in their places, are in- 

 serted two fiames of sections. Thus it 

 will be seen we are endeavoring in a most 

 economical manner to accomplish the 

 main aims in bee culture. 



