(jLiiAKlKGS In hkk cuLttiiiE. 



415 



the hives. It needs only to be properly executed to 

 be appreciated. 



If we are going to produce cheap honey at a prof- 

 it, all our operations must be executed by just 

 such simple, practical, and successful methods. 

 We must manipulate hives more and frames less. 

 All our hives must be readily movable, and we 

 must make every thing work as nearly automatic 

 as possible, and turn out first-class surplus honey. 



Dowagiac, > Mich. James Heddon. 



Friend II., altliougli I have never tried the 

 above plan exactly, from what I know of 

 bees I sliould call it sensible in every partic- 

 nlar. Of course, it includes natural swarm- 

 ing, and getting swarms down from wlierev- | 

 er they happen to cluster, and may be that j 

 is as well as we can do. Well, where natural 

 swarming is permitted. I do not know of 

 any better way of managing than the one 

 you give. I should think, however, the old 

 stock would sometimes swarm, and send out 

 an after-swarm, in spite of the treatment it 

 had received. Will tho.se who have tested 

 the above, please report? for vote is the time 

 when we want to avail ourselves of such 

 simple plans if ever. 



torn of the tank is an upright shaft, F, 44 c. high, 

 which carries, on its upper end, a pulley 10 c. in di- 

 ameter, driven by a larger one 24 c. in diameter, 

 withja^belt. This last pulley is provided [with a 

 crank, which can be extended even beyond the pe- 

 riphery of the pulley, so as to render more easy the 

 rotation. 



HONEY-EXTRACTORS 



MADE so AS TO REVERSE THE < OMBS WHEN nilN- 

 EU EITHER WAV. 



HE following was furnished us by Mr. 

 'ti't)/" F. Riguon, of Turin, Italy, vvlio trans- 

 lated it from Italian into" French, and 

 our i)roof-reader has rendeied it iiitr) 

 English. The engravings are (•oi)ieil 

 by our engraver from diawings of tiie ma- 

 chine, which was exhibited at the Italian 

 Exposition iield at Turin, in 1HS4. 



The principle of centrifugal force was first util- 

 ized in dyeing, by means of the hydro-extractor, 

 and afterward applied with great success by the 

 noble Chev. de Hruschka do Dolo, in extracting 

 honey from the combs without pressing them, 

 thta-eby rendering a great serxice to apiculture. 

 IJvit, like all liunum inventions, it was susceptible 

 of impro\'einent. M. Ic ('liev. Vussallo, of Castlgli- 

 one, Moretta, I'ieriiiont, Italy, nuiile one ( f these 

 improvements in what is known as the autonuitic 

 honey-extractor, which he presenti^il at the Italian 

 fJeneral Exposition in Turin, .i\ li-'.S4. 



Till recently, to extract honey with the ordinary 

 extractors it was necf^ssary to reverse the combs, 

 during which operation the combs were more or 

 less injured. The Vassalio extractor overcomes 

 this inconvenience, as the operator, by means of 

 the impetus which he gives to the machine, to the 

 i-ight or left, can present the side of the comb 1 i-om 

 which he wishes to extract the honey, the centrifu- 

 gal motion accomplishing the result. 



At the Florence Exposition, as early as is;4, Mr. 

 Vassalio presented an outline of his system, and for 

 six frames; and in spite ol tlie imperfections which 

 appeared, he was awarded a medal of bronze. 



The extractor for six frames is composed, first, of 

 an outer tank, or shell, resting on four legs so as to 

 leave room for a smaller receptacle to receive the 

 honey, which runs out of the spout E, Fig. 2. The di- 

 mensions of the outer tank are: Diameter, 85 cen- 

 timeters, or about 34 inches; depth at the middle, 

 40 c.; depth at the edge, 33 c. Resting on the bot- 



; VIEW Df THE E.\TI<A( 

 .<; DOWN FROM AUOVE. 



Diverging from the axis I'^, at top and bottom, are 

 six arms, G, Fig. 2, :$'.) centimeters long, and :iii c. 

 apart at their extremities. These arms are bound 

 firmly together by six snuill vertical strips,.h,lFig. ». 

 at the ends, and by V2 other horizontal pieces, as 

 shown at II, Fig. 1. Tuder the six frames there are 

 as many open receptacles, nuule t)f wii-e cloth, as 

 will receive the contents of a frame. These cups 

 hold an ofiicial Italian measuie: i. o., 31 c. long, 4 

 wide, and 22 deep. 'I'hese are suspended to a \ertic- 

 al shaft, 1), Fig. 2. This latter shaft is distant 2.'> 

 millimeters from the upriglit slick h. 



CKOSS-Sl'.CTION \IEW OK THE EXTli A ( Til l(,M,()( 1 K - 

 I.S(; AT-IT FROM THEfsiDE. 



Ueueath these receptacles is a pointer, or needle- 

 shaped piece, which, on turning the crank, is made 

 to strike on the tip of ^the little cone, which serves 

 to turn the arms to the right or left, according to 

 the impulsion given to the shaft F. These wire- 

 cloth receptacles_should.be slightly.incllned toward 

 the center, so^that they may not stop while a^jalnst 

 or opposite the'jdrum of the machine. When the 

 gearing ia^ not in motion the leaves come to their 



