"novice's" gleanings in bee culture. 



allow the three prongs of an apple- parer 

 to pass into them snugly. _ 



The pivot may be pushed in its 

 place in the top of our revolving frame 

 hut not soldered until we have it adjusted 

 to the proper length. 



Push in the bottom pivot until the ma- 

 chine will revolve and allow the ends of 

 your Langstroth frame to clear the bot- 

 tom about an inch. This will bring 

 the other end above the top edge of the 

 can about 3o-inch or a little more, so we 

 must have our arm to support the center, 

 raised enough to clear it. We would not 

 have the can higher because it would 

 necessitate raising the combs higher to 

 remove them, nor would we have a bar 

 clear across the top, for it would inter- 

 fere with the rapid handling of the combs 

 and we would have no greater depth at 

 the bottom of the can, for we wish to 

 work with it raised enough to run the 

 honey directly from a tube, (make it 

 large), level with the bottom into the 

 bung of a barrel. 



We use the gearing of an apple-parer, 

 removing all except the main wheel and 

 crank, small wheel with fork, and bear- 

 ings of both. The parer should be of the 

 kinds that has bearing to both wheels par- 

 allel, and not those with bevel gearing. 

 The cast iron that holds the wheels is to be 

 soldered securely to, or rather inside of a 

 tin tube 2x?s inside measure, and per- 

 haps seven inches long, in such a way as 

 to allow the wheels to lie on the flat side 

 of the tube and to work freely, the 

 smaller one close to one end. This tube 

 is to slide as tight as it can be pushed 

 into another similar one b l A inches long, 

 and the latter is to be soldered fast to the 

 top edge of the can on the opposite side 

 from where the honey runs out ; and this 

 tube must be previously bent at a dis- 

 tance of about 2} i inches from the point 

 of attachment to allow the projection on 

 the comb frame to swing under it. To 

 make those tubes quickly and very 

 strong, make them in two pieces, which 

 are like shallow boxes without ends be- 

 fore one is inverted and pushed into the 

 other. Thus you see the sides are 

 (louble and when soldered have great 

 strength. The two pieces for the bent 

 one should have the sides, after turning 

 them up square in a folder, cut down to 

 the bottom where the angle is to be 

 made, so that in bending the top those 

 corners will overlap, and, when soldered, 

 are secure at the desired angle and can 

 then be fitted over the other piece and 

 the whole soldered strong. 



This arm will not be firm enough with 

 out bracing and so we must have a piece 

 fif tin fitted to extend from the bend in 

 the arm down inside of the can about six 

 inches, broad enough to extend also four 

 inches each side, tapering to a rounded 

 point at the lower end something like the 

 brace to a coffee pot spout. 



Your tinsmith will probably "grumble" 

 more at this brace than at all the rest, 

 but never mind, for it is all done now, 

 when wo fix a little ring on the urder 

 side of the movable tube to snap over a 

 little knob of solder on the other to pre- 

 vent it drawing out, only when we wish 

 to remove the inside work, and our ac- 

 count stands for the afternoon's work 

 thus : 



Six sheets of tin used, and one 

 extra for mistake in work atl5c $1.05 



Iron around top of can 20 



Parer. 75 



Solder, 15 



}4 days work, 1.00 



83.15 



Inside work, 1.80 



$4.95 



" Now Mr Novice, that's really too bad 

 if vou leave your description in that way. 

 Why don't you tell them how to make a 

 sloping bottom to the can, and molasses 

 gate, etc., just as the one you have just 

 finished is made ? And you have used 

 heavier tin, too; and what are your pu- 

 pils to do when the barrel gets lull as it 

 often used to ; and how are we women to 

 keep the implement clean and free from 

 dust and flies, etc , if a half inch of honey 

 is always standing in it? " 



"There! there!"No more at once please. 

 First, it will cost more than $5.00. Second, 

 we can't explain such a bottom. Third, a 

 molasses gate costs 75 cents. Fourth, Our 

 original extractor (that you wished 

 back so many times after we sold it, 

 and tried to use Peabody's and Gray it 

 Winders') was made of roofing tin, with 

 a flat bottom, and is good yet. Fifth, 

 cork up the tube when the barrel is 

 full, of course. Corks cost but one cent. 

 Sixth, we can't remember sixth, and no 

 wonder either." 



11 Never mind sixth. The machine that 

 vou have just finished, right here beside 

 us, would be cheaper at $10.00 than the 

 flat bottom can and " corks " at $5.00. A 

 nice thing your " cork" would bo to leave 

 around somewhere as you always do un- 

 til needed, and then have to hunt for it, 

 barrel running over meanwhile. You 

 may do so it you wish, but women don't 

 work that way." 



" Tell your readers to have the bottom 

 made like an inverted tin cover, lowest 

 in the centre, and to have an open chan- 

 nel leading from the centre on a gentle 

 slope to the faucet, and a piece of tinned 

 wire cloth over this channel, will strain 

 out bees, etc. But it will not stand up 

 unless a tin hoop is made to go around 

 the lower end, reaching down as low as 

 the mouth of the gate." 



" To be sure and another heavy wire 

 is needed around the bottom of this hoop 

 for it to rest on, and so that some screws 

 can be inserted through the tin just above 

 it to faeten it firmly to the platform or 

 bench on which it is worked." 



Now kind readers, each one of you can 

 decide whether the $5.00 style of the can, 

 (which answers perfectly tho purpose in- 

 tended, )will be best,all things considered, 

 or the more expensive form. 



We have made one that allows the 

 frame to be reversed inside of the ma- 

 chine, but as it is heavier and not so sim- 

 ple, we cannot really think it an advan- 

 tage at present. 



We have also one that has a close-fit- 

 ting tin cover over the top, but after 

 having tried both ways, we really think 

 we prefer a round piece of white cloth to 

 spread over it when not in use. A rub- 

 ber cord run in the hem will be handier 

 than tying on a string. 



