1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



279 



tractor, with the front glass removed to show the 

 better how it is constructed. 



The picture will give a much clearer idea of the 

 construction and practical use of these improve- 

 ments than volumes of words could do. A very 

 important feature of the cart, and one I have not 

 seen in any yet illustrated in the bee-papers, is, it 

 combines a very excellent common-purpose cart 

 with the hive carrier. 



By looking at the picture you will notice that, in 

 lifting a colony of bees, it does not pick the hive 

 square up, but first tips it forward, just as you 

 would do in lifting it by hand, tipping it a little first 

 to break it loose from the bottom-board. Colonies 

 can be replaced as carefully and deftly upon the 

 bottom-boards as by hand. If a bee comes out to 

 reconnoiter, he seems to be a Utile astonished to 

 find no one within half a rod of the hive. 



You see this will prove a bonanza to timid bee- 

 keepers. A hive can be taken from the top of an- 



not many of the hives in use constructed with little 

 or no regard to convenience in lilting and carrying, 

 either by hand or by means of a carrier? Did it 

 never occur to you that the style of a great maf^s of 

 ihe hives now in use is a little antiquated in this re- 

 spect—that this feature in the stjle of a modern 

 hive has been overlooked or neglected? 



I am not disposed to (luarrel with others about 

 the style of hive they use; but for me, a hive that 

 is to be much lifted and carried must be cleated 

 outside. But we must take things as we find them, 

 and make the best we can of it. There are thou- 

 sands who use cleated hives. To all such this cart 

 is perfectly adapted, and with some little modifica- 

 tion or improvement it may be adjusted to the car- 

 rying of any style of hive in use; as, for instance, 

 spring catches on the lifting bars ftr the hand- 

 holes, and by means of rods connecting with the 

 handle. A spring-scale attachment for the hive to 

 rest upon with a registry dial above is a part of the 



BOARDMAN'S HIVE-CAhT AND SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR, 



Other hive, or be replaced. Besides lifting and 

 carr>ing colonies, all of the heavy carrying in the 

 apiary can be done with this cart, distributing 

 hives, surplus cases, taking off surplus sections or 

 comb for extracting. For carrying empty or light 

 hives, six can be hung between the bars, and six 

 placed on top, making 12 at a load. For moving 

 lumber from one place to another, T found it to be 

 very convenient. The lifting frame, or bars, are 

 8 feet long, 2 inches square; are clipped to the axle 

 3 feet from the lifting end, thus giving an easy 

 leverage over the axle, for lifting. The wheels are 

 3 feet 9 inches apart. It is quite important that 

 they be large, in order to run easily and smoothly. 



As this cart is made and adjusted expressly for my 

 hives, I anticipate the most important criticism. As 

 a general hive-carrier, it is not adapted to many of 

 the hives in use. 



If I may be excused for the bold criticism, is it 

 not rather the fault of the hives than the cart? Are 



original plan, so that every colony is weighed as 

 they are carried into winter quarters. This hasn't 

 materialized yet. One day in the latter part of 

 November, about ;i o'clock p. m., I threw open the 

 doors of the bee-house and commenced testing the 

 merits of the new hive-cart. I wheeled the bees 

 myself to the door, where an assistant lifted them 

 from the cart and placed them in position inside. 

 The weather was growing rapidly cold, but not yet 

 freezing. The bees were very quiet, and not dis- 

 posed to be offended at any slight provocation. 

 They were unusually heavy, and many of the hives 

 were filled with bees staug down to the bottom- 

 board. I was astonished at the ease and rapidity 

 with which I could pick up and wheel the heaviest 

 colonies, doing it easily, if I chose, with but one 

 hand, and at the same time so softly and gently 

 that the bees were not disturbed. I had been rack- 

 ing ray brain for some time in trying to devise 

 some kind of spring which would take the jar otT 



