320 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUUK. 



Apk. 15 



with some bee-keepers has been to reduce the 

 depth of the cell-wall in these unfinished 

 combs, back to the original foundation; but no 

 practical way has Vjeen devised until lately. 



Immediately after receiving the letter from 

 Mr. Taylor, we asked him to send on a sample 

 of his device as soon as he had it perfected. 

 He did so. and herewith we give engravings 

 showing different views of the same. 



It is simply an oi'dinary shallow pan. having 

 a square box made of iron, mounted in the 

 same (see sectional view). The inside dimen- 

 sions of this box are just a little smaller than 

 the inside dimensions of tlie sections. By re- 

 ferring to the bottom and sectional view, it will 

 be seen that the top plate I is designed, when 

 hot, to come in contact with the ends of the 

 cells. To heat this plate I, a lamp-chimney, 

 as shown in the sectional view, is introduced 

 into the under side of the device at F. the im- 

 plement itself being supported by a box of the 

 right height, having a hole in the top through 

 which the lamp-chimney projects. The cone, 

 H, shown in the bottom and sectional views, 

 disperses the heat so that the plate I will re- 

 main equally hot at all points. 



The operation of reducing the cell-walls in 

 partly finished sections is. to place one over the 

 the square metallic box, as it were (see dotted 

 lines C and G in the general view), allowing 

 the combs to come in contact with the heat- 

 ed plate. The ends of the cells melt rap- 

 idly, and the wax refuse runs down the sides A, 

 and is caught in the bottom of the pan at B. 

 The stops D D prevent the cell-walls from being 

 melted down too far: and as the plates C C 

 slide in the grooves E E. the stops D D may be 

 regulated to suit the width of the section, so as 

 to give the required depth to the comb. 



Although we have never tried it. we presume 

 it is a fact that' the bees will build out these 

 combs, reduced to foundation again, as rapidly 

 and perfectly as they build from regular foun- 

 dation; and probably no one could detect, after 

 the combs were finislied and capped over, those 

 that were built from leveled-down comb, and 

 those from foundation. 



In accordance with Mr. Taylor's request, we 

 gave the device a careful test, and found it 

 melted down the cell-walls. leaving the ends 

 clean and sharp, without any ragged edges; 

 but while the operation seems to be a little 

 slow, quite likely greater speed could be obtain- 

 ed with a little practice. 



Just how far this machine may prove to be 

 practical, we can not say; but we should be 

 very glad to receive reports from those who 

 have given it a thorough trial on quite an ex- 

 tensive scale. The only question that remains 

 in our mind is, that it might be cheaper to use 

 new sections and new foundation rather than 

 to take some sections that miglit be soiled from 

 bee-travel, and level them down. Over against 

 this, it may be said that the unfinished sections 

 are waste capital that are of no use to bee- 

 keepers; and if, at a slight additional expensp. 

 they could be used over again, something will 

 be saved. 



We have just been i)ermitted to examine into 

 the details of H. P. Langdon's device for pre- 

 venting swarming — not only for preventing 

 swarms, but materially increasing the honey 

 crop. We are not yet at liberty to make public 

 the details, but we would simply state here 

 that our friend Langdon has a plan that prom- 

 ises better than any thing we have ever .seen. 

 The system has already been indorsed by a 

 number of the leading lights in apiculture to 

 whom the plan has been submitted confiden- 

 tially. Some even go so far as to think that 

 the invention will rival in importance that of 



the extractor and the comb-foundation ma- 

 chine. While we do not hold so hopeful a view 

 as this, we believe that most bee-keepers will 

 want to try it as soon as the inventor is ready 

 to have the details published. 



Special Notices. 



ST. MARTIN RHUBARB-PLANTS. 



Good healthy plants, from seeds planted a year 

 ago, 25 cts. each; $3.00 per dozen. If wanted by 

 mail, add 5 cts. each for postage. 



SECOND-HAND WOOD TURNING LATHE. 



We ha,vp a bararaln to ofifer in a wood-turning- 

 lathe. It is similar to B;irues' No. 3 latlie, without 

 legs, which sells for $3U.(I0 It is some heavier, has 

 cone pulley for different speeds, and has been fitted 

 up practicall.v as good as new. It is now at May- 

 ville. Micli., wliere we sold it to a party who wanted 

 a lathe for foot-power. He found this too heavy 

 for thHt use, but considers it a rare l)argain for any 

 one with steam power to run it. We will sell it for 

 $12.00. 



STOWEL'S evergreen SEED CORN. 



We have obtained from C. S. Clark, mentioned on 

 page 276 of our last issue, the man who furnishes D. 

 Cummins with that extra nice corn for his caiuiing- 

 factory, two bushels of seed. The price will be 5 

 cts. per 14-pint; 16 cts. per quart, or 75 cts. per peck. 

 If wanted by mall, add at the rate of 13 cts. per 

 quart for postage. This strain of Stowel's Ever- 

 green is certainly superior to any thing in the way 

 of green corn we have ever before got hold of. 



THE PALMER RASPBERRY. 



We have been for years testing the new raspber- 

 ries as they came lut. Two j'ears ago we bought 

 500 plants (if the Palmer raspberry; and last season 

 it gave us the first crop, with which we were so 

 much pleased that we propose to drop all other 

 varieties. We buried some of the tips in the fall, in 

 order to extend our plantation, but find we can 

 spare perhaps a thousand or more nice strong 

 plants. Price, per 10, 40 cts. ; 100. $3.00. If wanted 

 by mail, add 2 cts. each for postage. These plants 

 were grown on our rich market-gardening ground, 

 and are, therefore, extra large and strong. 



OUR MAMMOTH SWEET CORN. 



I am sorry to say that our seed of the above vari- 

 ety, the present season, is not germinating just at 

 present as it ought to do; and on that account we 

 have, under the circumstances, decided to fill or- 

 ders with Stowel's Evergreen— the kind used by the 

 Cummins canning- factory, mentioned elsewhere, in 

 place of the Mammoth. Of course, I can purchase 

 some more .seed of the Late Mammoth, of some of 

 the various seedsmen; but if I do so, I should not 

 feel sure it would equal our own strain of Late 

 Mammoth we have had for so many years. In fact, 

 I have sometimes tried purchasing Late Mammoth 

 when we were sold out; but it was never as rich and 

 sweet as our own strain. From what we know of 

 Stowell's Evergreen, we think it will fill the bill 

 nearer than any other variety; and it also has the 

 merit of not getting too old for table use as soon as 

 the Mammoth does^ 



LAWN-MOW RRS. 



The time is at hand when the grass on our lawns 

 and bee-yards will need trimming. You can do this 

 with nothing more satisfactory than a lawn-mower. 

 On the inside of last cover you will find the two 

 mowers we have sold for a number of years, but at 

 further reduced prices. There is no better mower 

 built than the Globe; yet we sell it at the ridicu- 

 lously low price of $5.00 for the 18-inch, and from 

 that down to $4.00 for the 10-inch. The Young 

 America is an excellent one for a single driver, and 

 the price at which we offer them does not cover 

 cost, but we must sell them. They were bought as 

 a bankrupt stock in the first place, at a very low 

 figure: and yet, to close out the last of them, we 

 will sell them at retail, even below that. Those 

 who can use a quantity of either style will do well 

 to write for prices. 



