1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



49 



satisfactory for a wheelbarrow of any thing I 

 have tried. My preference is to have the 

 wheel slightly under the load, leaving just 

 enough weight on the handles to keep the 

 wheelbarrow stead}' when in motion. 



If the extractiug-house is not to be used for 

 other purposes, a building 8X16 feet is large 

 enough for one or two men. Gravitation 

 should be used when we can do so. 



M}^ preference is to excavate sufficiently 

 from one end of the house so the honey can 

 run from the extractor through a pipe which 

 empties into a Mclntyre strainer on the tank. 

 Another pipe should carry the honey from the 

 uncapping-box to the strainer. A door should 

 be in each end of the house, or in the side 

 near the end. The screen used to ventilate 

 the house should extend several inches above 

 the windows and a bee space from the wall, 

 thus forming good bee-escapes. 



—9.0 



N°. 1 



N°.2 



This top view of the tank is to illustrate the appear- 

 ance before the upper bottom is in. 



A, A. A, supporting-strips soldered to bottom. 



B, B, B. B, corner pieces from top of tank to upper 

 bottom, or floor. 



C, C, C, C, opening from top of tank to reservoir at 

 bottom. 



D, honey-gate. 



E, screw-cap to draw water out of reservoir. 



NO. 2. DIAGRAM. 



A, ealvanized iron braces. 



B, first bottom, and space between. 



C, clipped covers in first bottom. 



D, honey-gate. 



E water-cock or cap. 



F, crating to support tank. 



Among the various extractors I have used, 

 the Cowan line suit me best. For rapid work, 

 give me the six-frame size. But a man dreads 

 to look at one flfter he extracts a few tons of 

 honey with it — at least a medium or small 

 man does. It means hard work to run one. 

 Another defect is, the baskets swing against 

 a circle, which has a tendency to bulge the 

 baskets and rack them ; and it also is trying 

 on the combs. I extracted several carloads of 

 honey with one of this size, and then sold it. 

 With slight repair it can make several season's 

 run yet. Where there is much moving to do, 

 the four-frame size suits me better. There 



is a question in my mind whether a two-frame 

 machine would not suit most people better. 

 The baskets rest plump against the irons, 

 which keeps them true. It is light, and far 

 more effective than many might dream. 



In this country we get our honey ripened in 

 the hives so well that there is usually no need 

 of a tank for that purpose. But we must let 

 the honey settle to supply the demand of our 

 exacting market. To let the honey run 

 through those play strainers which come with 

 the extractors might do — no one, perhaps, has 

 the patience to find out. How such men as 

 Messrs. France and Coggshall can sell honey 

 right from the extractor is a kink we have not 

 learned yet. 



If we are to handle honey by gravitation as 

 much as possible it follows that, in most places 

 we need a shallow tank. This year I made 

 one of galvanized iron, two feet wide, two 

 high, and four feet long. The distinguishing 

 feature about it, which must not be patented, 

 is a double bottom. Strips of heavy galvan- 

 ized iron were soldered securely to the lower 

 bottom — such strips as are used to fasten sheet 

 iron together for shipment. These strips are 

 bent to strengthen the bottom. After the 

 second bottom is put in, strips of galvanized 

 iron six inches by two feet are first riveted in, 

 and then .soldered. Of course the corners of 

 the upper bottom are cut away. The accom- 

 panying diagram will probably make it clear. 

 To hold it in shape it should be crated. The 

 tank is nailed to the crating at different points 

 near the top ; but the crating does not quite 

 reach the bottom. Between the bottoms there 

 is a space of about 1 Yz inches which can be 

 filled with water at either corner. During the 

 late fall flow, when honey granulates so quick- 

 ly, you can warm this water by an oil-stove, 

 or by wood fire in furnace under tank, and it 

 is much more convenient than digging honey 

 out of the tank and melting up elsewhere, as 

 I have frequently been forced to do. The 

 tank may also be used for liquefying honey at 

 other times. A round tank could be made 

 with the same distinguishing feature ; but I 

 like this form better. 



Whatever the style of tank, a platform scale 

 should be under the honey-gate ; and when 

 you draw off 60 pounds net, take the can oflf 

 the scales and it will be just right. 



Grayson, Cal., Nov. 27. 



[Referring to the hoop or circle against 

 which the baskets swing in Cowan extractors, 

 I would say that we could make it eight-sided 

 or six-sided, so that the baskets would strike 

 against the flat surface rather than at the cor- 

 ners, but we had never supposed this would 

 be any advantage. We will take the matter 

 under consideration, however, and if, after 

 testing, the change is found advisable, we will 

 adopt it. We are always glad to get sugges- 

 tions, for it is only by taking the ddvice and 

 experience of practical men that we can make 

 an article that meets the demands of severe 

 and prolonged usage. 



The great majority of producers run the 

 honey from the extractor into a large tank, or 

 reservoir, not alone for the purpose of allow- 



