1S80 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



570 



with the inside arrangement of the "Family scale," 

 but suppose that it might be arranged so as to be 

 connected or disconnected with the platform scale 

 by the simple turn of a button or the like. 



Now, in regard to the weights, taking my own 

 hive as a standard. I use a two-story hive with 

 frames, which will take 6 one-pound sections in- 

 stead of 8, as I regard the regular Langstroth frame 

 as too large and inconvenient to use in the extract- 

 or, where I want the frames to hang just as in the 

 hive, and not stand on end. Each story contains 

 about 2000 cubic inches. The mimes are O^xlS'/i, 

 outside measure, made of ?« stuff. Lower story 

 takes , 10 frames. In upper story I use only 9. 

 Empty twc-story hive weighs about 24 lbs. An ex- 

 tracted comb, just weighed, weighs 2 lbs., which 

 makes 18 lbs. for nine. I have often extracted 50 

 lbs. of clear honey from a set of f mmes in a hive 

 which I formerly used, of a different shape, but 

 same capacity. Allowing 58 lbs. for contents of 

 lower story, which, of course, in most cases is too 

 high (although I have had one case of Italians which 

 were completely "honey bouud"), I will sum up as 

 follows: — 



Honey in upper story 50 lbs. 



9 combs" " " - 18 " 



Contents of lower story, including swarm 5s " 

 Weight of empty hive - - - - - 24 " 



The hive-scale should therefore be capable of car- 

 rying a weight of 150 lbs. The sliding weight on the 

 arm weighs the tare; that is, the whole hive with- 

 out the surplus honey, and should be capable of be- 

 ing slid back till it indicates no weight at all. The 

 dial-hand, wbich indicates the actual increase or de- 

 crease of weight of hive, should indicate as high as 

 50 lbs., and the dial may be graduated as fine as you 

 please. In order to be complete, the dial-hand 

 ought to be able to move some distance from to 

 the left, so as to indicate loss as well as gain. Now, 

 when you make any change in the weight of the 

 hive, as in putting on or taking off upper story, ex- 

 tracting, and so on, move the sliding weight back or 

 forth until it balances the hive. Fasten it there 

 with the set-screw. Then connect the Chatillon 

 with the Fai' banks, and any subsequent increase or 

 decrease will be indicated by the dial-hand. As 50 

 lbs. can be weighed by the dial, when the sliding 

 weight is pushed back to just keep balance with the 

 empty platform, the arm which carries the sliding 

 weight ought to have a 50 lb. mark or notch, and a 

 100 lb. mark or stop (at the further end) for conven- 

 ience in weighing any thing heavier than 50 lbs. 



The dial should be right in front of the hive, so 

 that the bee-keeper, standing behind the hive, can 

 read it at a glance. The bees will have to fly out 

 and in on both sides of the upright part of the Pcale, 

 which will not be much in their way. Nothing of 

 the apparatus should bo at the side or back of the 

 hive, to interfere with the operations of the bee- 

 keeper. Under the dial, or on the back of the hive, 

 I would hang a slate, with pencil attached, to mark 

 down the changes from day to day. I would set the 

 scales on a platform, like the bottom-board of a hive, 

 with cleats of 2x3 scantling. To the front of this 

 platform I would nail two uprights with acrosspiece 

 on lop, or the uprights may be driven into the 

 ground like your grapevine trellises, and to this 

 crosspiece I would hinge a light cover to protect the 

 apparatus from the weather, and at the 6ame time 

 shade the hive. This cover should slant to the front, 

 so that I can read tho dial without stooping or rais- 



ing the cover; and when I want to work with the 

 hive I throw the cover back on its hinges, out of my 

 way. It may be held in this position by a button, 

 hook, c itch, or the like. 



This last arrangement would, of course, be home- 

 made. Tho scales themselves should bo as plain 

 and light as possible, on account of cost and freight ; 

 but 6hould have a substantial coat of paint, so that 

 they may be left on the stand all the year round if 

 desired, as they would be in this and the Southern 

 States. They ought not to cost over $10.00 to come 

 within the reach <>f bee-keepers of modest means, 

 but of sufficient intelligence and enterprise to like 

 to know the exact state of the honey-flow. 



Now, if you or anybody else can simplify or im- 

 prove on this, do so; and I hope, that by nextspring 

 you may be able to put on the market a hive-scnle 

 which will weigh a full two-story hive, for which the 

 60 lb. spring scale, aside from the swinging of the 

 hive and other inconveniences, is of no account 

 whatever. Wm. Muth-Rasmossen. 



Independence, Cal., Sept. 11, 1880. 



Many thanks, friend M., for your sugges- 

 tions. Your improvement, or, at least, its 

 principal feature, would be to have a dial- 

 scalp, of a capacity not exceeding 50 lbs., so 

 arranged that it would register the ups and 

 downs of an article weiging 1-30 lbs.; that is, 

 instead of going from up to 150 lbs. in oz., 

 which would be a very expensive apparatus 

 indeed, we simply have a machine that will 

 register from 1U0 lbs. up to 150 lbs. — the dial 

 having to sweep only 50 lbs. No doubt this 

 can be done ; and if the demand were suffi- 

 cient, I think it might be made very cheaply. 

 I have already ordered a scale that I think 

 may be made to do it. 



A NEW IDEA IN WINTERING. 



WARMTQ AND DRYNESS SECURED BY CHEMICAL 

 MEANS. 



jnMHIS will be a hard winter on bees in most parts 

 j«{[ of the country, on aocount of lack of good 

 — ' stores, and mostly old bees,— a poor prospect 

 certainly. We must help the little fellows, or make 

 up our minds to lose them. Last winter I kept 10 

 stocks warm, dry, and in good health, by chemical 

 means; i.e., by a generous use of quicklime. My 

 other stocks had the dysentery, and everyone of the 

 chaff hives was mildewed and wet, in spite of three 

 drjiugs during the winter; while the 10 cushions 

 used on the hives with lime, were asdry and clean as 

 when first made. No one will believe the amount of 

 water quicklime takes up by chemical affinity, unlc39 

 they try tho experiment for themselves; therefore, 

 take about 1 quart of it in a basin, and !j pint of wa- 

 ter, which pour slowly on the lime, stirring well all 

 the time during tho slaking, and if tho lime was 

 properly made you will have a perfectly dry pow- 

 der, still capablo of absorbing more water beforo be- 

 coming damp. The action of the lime- is threefold:— 



1. It absorbs moisture; 



2. It absorbs carbon dioxide (carbonic acid;) 



3. It gives out a largo amount of heat. 



This it does slowly, and in exact proportion as it 

 absorbs the breath of tho bees; i. «., much moisture, 

 rapid chemical action, much heat. What is still more 

 strange, this is dry heat, not moist. 



This absorbing action is so slow, and the amount of 

 heat so small, that nothiDg but scientific instruments. 



