1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



187 



THE MOTOR CYCLE FOR THE BEE- 

 KEEPER. 



Traveling to Outyurds at the Rate of a 

 Mile a Minute. 



BV L. F. HOWDEN. 



Having had three years' experience with 

 motor cycles I am glad to rela\e my experi- 

 ence, as it may be of some benefit to those 

 who run out-apiaries — particularly those 

 who need some means of locomotion that is 

 more rapid than the horse or even the auto- 

 mobile. 



Of course, there is much pleasure to be 

 derived from riding a motor cycle; but not- 

 withstanding this fact I used mine mostly for 

 business, having found it to be a wonderful 

 money-saver by saving time, which is quite 

 an important factor with a man who runs 

 out-apiaries many miles from home. 



Another reason why the motor cycle ex- 

 cels other means of travtl is its low expense 

 of upkeep I have found that, after riding 

 a two cylinder five horse-power "Indian" 

 4000 mihs, my expense tor repaiis has been 

 only $10.00 to 15 00, which is surely a small 

 amount when one takes into consideration 

 the distance traveled, time saved, and the 

 satisfaction of having this willing steed al- 

 ways ready. The oil and gasoline required 

 to run a motor cycle depend on the condition 

 of roads, hil s encountered, etc.; but I think 

 that, as an average, a eallon and a half will 

 run one a hundred miles. 



The speed of a motor cycle is almost un- 



limited. I have traveled at the rate of a mile 

 in fifty-five seconds, and there still seemed 

 to bf more speed in ihe machine It is rath- 

 er hard to tell what the maximum speed 

 might be; but I think this rate is fast enough 

 for the ordinary bee-keeper It is also pos- 

 sible to throttle the machine down to five 

 miles an hour. 



As I have been in the supply b"siness I 

 had my machine equipped with a luggage- 

 c trrier which I used to quite an extent for 

 carrying packages <o and from the depot, 

 having carried as much as 50 lbs. at once. 



To those who ask how the "Indian "climbs 

 hills, I will say that the tive-horse power ma- 

 chine will climb any hill that an automobile 

 or horse and wagon will negotiate. Those 

 who live in a hilly country siiould buy the 

 two cy inder tive-horse-power model selling 

 for $275. 



Fillmore, N. Y. 



[There are several good makes of motor 

 cycles on the market. Besides the one men- 

 tioned in the article there are the following: 

 Curtiss Reading Standard, Thor, Yale, Mer- 

 kle, Pierce, and some others. The self-pro- 

 pelled cycle has now come to so high a state 

 of perfection that it can no longer be con- 

 sidered an experiment but a practical every- 

 day machine for business or pleasure. The 

 expense, as stated by our correspondent, is 

 very moderate. Something, however, will 

 depend on the mechanical ability of the 

 rider and his care of the machine. If he 

 fails to keep his bearings well adjusted and 

 oiled, and allows his machine to get out of 



LEON F. HOWDEN READY FOR A LIGHTNING TRIP TO AN OUT-APIARY. 



