1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



59 



has found this last-named species I should like 

 to hear whether bees work upon it. 



In Monierey Co. I have seen bees a little on 

 E. amjulosuin, of quite a different section of 

 the gt'nus. Perhaps it is no more singular that 

 so few species of so laree a genus are frequent- 

 ed by bees than ih&i the Melilotus pnrvifolia, 

 one of the sweet clovers, is very common in Cal- 

 ifornia, but I have never S( en a bee working on 

 it anywhere. 



Let me here cast my ballot in favor of Ram- 

 bler's still continuing to write for Gleanings. 

 I doubt whether any series of articles will be 

 more missed than his. There is plenty to see in 

 California yet: but if he thinks it is getting to 

 be old to him, then let him and Wilder and the 

 pony branch out into Arizona. If he thinks his 

 ranch is beginning to require his constant pres- 

 ence, we can send some ladies down there to 

 make him think differently. A. Norton. 



Monterey, Cal., Dec 31, 189.5. 



AN UNCAPPING BOX. 



A CHEAP HOME-MADE UNCAPPING BOX, 

 DEVICE FOR REVERSING COMBS 

 FOR UNCAPPING. 



Btj H. W. Mitchell. 



The cross-piece A is made of a strip of pine 2 

 inches wide, and long enough to reach across 

 whatever receptacle is used for uncapping 

 over. In the center of the strip, bore a %-ln. 

 hole for a spindle to pass through. The comb- 

 rest is a piece 1 inch wide, and as long as the 

 end-bar of the brood-frame. On each side, near 

 the ends, nail a narrow strip of heavy tin pro- 

 jecting beyond the ends of the strip about ?8 

 in. (these little lugs hold the top-bar of the 

 brood-frame in place, and prevent its slipping 

 off sidewise when whirled around).* In the 

 center of this revolving support I bore a K-iu- 

 hole, and insert the upper end of the spindle, 

 and fasten securely. The spindle itself is about 

 6 inches long, and passes through the hole in 

 the cross-piece, fitting snugly, and the point 

 fits into a small hole in the tin brace (just be- 

 low A), which is a 2-inch-wide strip of tin nail- 

 ed to the cross-piece in the manner shown in 

 sketch, the object being to give two bearings 

 to the spindle, and prevent any wabbling of the 

 comb-rest. 



To uncap, place a comb on end on the rest; 

 slice off one side, whirl around, and uncap the 

 other. 



The spindle can be made of hard wood. I 

 myself used the socket of an old garden-hoe, 

 with enough of the handle left to mortise into 

 the comb-rest. 



The arrangement can be placed on top of a 

 box or a half-barrel, or any thing that will hold 



*The engraving at this point is not strictly cor- 

 rect.— Ed. 



the uncappings. I use a box with a hopper- 

 bottom, as shown in the lower sketch. On a 

 frame that just fits the inside of the box I nail 

 J^-inch-mesh tin wire netting (see upper sketch). 

 This frame drops inside of the box, and rests 

 where the hopper shape begins. This serves to 

 hold the cappings, and allows them to drain. 

 The honey runs down the hopper through a 

 small hole into the receiver underneath, which 

 is covered with cheese-cloth. 



HONEY PAIL WITH 

 CHEESE CLOTH COVER. 



■Rvvvv^.^.^.^vv^'^^v^^^-.^v^vxvv v^'^^^^^^^ 



^ 



My extractor is fastened to a table that is 

 long enough to allow of this box bf^ing fastened 

 to it at the right-hand side, and at a convenient 

 heigh t for uncapping. By having the box large 

 enough to hold a day's uncappings they can 

 drain over night, and be dry enough to put into 

 the solar wax-extractor next morning, ready 

 for a fresh start. 



AN APIARY KNIFE-CHISEL. 



This I find very handy to pry off covers or 

 bodies, loosen frames, scrape off tops of frames, 

 cut out pieces of comb, etc. It is made by tak- 



ing a %-inch Addis wood-carving chisel, and 

 grinding one side to a chisel edge. I use a 

 wood-carving chisel, as the blade is much thin- 

 ner than an ordinary carpenters' chisel, and 

 the steel of extra quality. I like this better 



