1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



957 



ey out of the combs, uncap and extract, against any 

 of your experts, he to use a two-comb Novice. I 

 weigh 170 pounds, and can uncap and extract from 

 250 to 300 pounds per hour, according to the amount 

 of uncapping to be done, and the thickness of the 

 honey. I should like to know how much one of 

 your experts can extract in an hour with a two- 

 comb Novice. When I came to California, Mr. Wil- 

 kin was running this apiary with two Novice ex- 

 tractors and four assistants. I run it now with one 

 assistant, and extract as much honey per day as he 

 did with four. After a vast amount of experiment- 

 ing, I find the best thing to prevent combs from 

 breaking in any extractor is to put only eight 

 combs in a ten-frame super. The reason why so 

 many break is because, in uncapping, the comb is 

 cut down to or below the level of the frame. If the 

 comb is % inch thicker than the frame after the 

 capping is off it will seldom break. It is no more 

 trouble to put combs in a reversible extractor if the 

 baskets stand with the side toward you; and as 

 they do not come out until empty, it is less trouble 

 to take them out. Non reversible extractors have 

 not been handled by dealers in this county for sev- 

 eral years. J. F. McIntyre. 

 Fillmore, Cal., Nov. 11, 1889. 



Very good, friend M. Such facts as you 

 give from actual work are exactly what we 

 want ; and even if they do upset and contro- 

 vert the opinion I expressed, we are all the 

 more glad to get them. From the above it 

 would seem that 1 am entirely mistaken. 

 But before I give up I should be glad to 

 hear from others who have used extractors 

 swinging four or more combs at once. Per- 

 haps I may say to the readers of Glean- 

 ings, that Mr. McIntyre is a remarkably 

 bright, keen, young Canadian. Hrs grounds, 

 tools, and manner of working, reminded 

 me vividly of friend Terry. Almost every 

 bee-keeper has his notions in regard to im- 

 plements and ways of working. I am some- 

 what surprised to find that a rather small 

 woman like Mrs. McIntyre should succeed 

 so well ; but if anybody could take from 250 

 to 300 lbs. an hour with any extractor, I 

 should think likely friend M. would be the 

 man to do it. When they were soldering up 

 their cans for honey, in order to fill a large 

 shipment to go to Europe, you may remem- 

 ber that I told you that he in a very little 

 time soldered more cans than an experienced 

 tinsmith. If nobody comes to my aid, I will 

 own up that I was mistaken. I am very 

 glad of the point made, that heavy combs 

 are broken by slicing off too much with the 

 cappings. Since you mention it, I remem- 

 ber the same thing. Hurrah ! here is a let- 

 ter already, pretty nearly in a line with my 

 position. 



A REPORT FROM ONE WHO HAS USED THE STAN- 

 LEY AND NOVICE EXTRACTORS. 



In Gleanings for Nov. 1 you ask for a report of 

 those who have had and used the Stanley reversing 

 extractor. I have used one two years; and now 

 that I have the Novice extractor, which I got of 

 you, I do not expect to use Stanley's much, if any 

 • more, as we prefer to use yours. My extracting 

 man calls the Stanley a "man-killer," as it requires 

 so much more strength to operate it. If 1 were 

 buying new, I would take the Novice, even at the 

 same price (mine cost less than one-half), every 



time. I have extracted from 150 hives, and know 

 what T am writing about. O. R. Coe. 



Prattsville, N. Y., Nov. 11, 1889. 



CLOSED-END OR STANDING FRAMES. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES, HIVES, ETC. 



SOW, then, Mr. Root, as you have evidently, 

 from your own articles, and also from the 

 contributions of others, published in Glean- 

 ings of late, been thinking that closed-end, 

 or standing frames, have advantages, and 

 are sought for, and actually in use by many suc- 

 cessful bee-keepers (I don't include myself), I hope 

 you will still continue the good work, and shortly 

 give us another improved hive containing this prin- 

 ciple in some form or other. I also hope that Mr. 

 Vandeusen, Mr. Hetherington, Hawk, and many 

 others, while giving their views, will mention par- 

 ticularly the difference of bees wintering in closed- 

 end frames that fit closely to the end of hives, and 

 those in standing frames having a space between 

 the end of the hive and the frames, as with the or- 

 dinary hanging frame, as this is an important mat- 

 ter to beekeepers in the northern part of North 

 America (Canada is not yet in the United States, 

 but may be about the time the international is held 

 in Brantford). 



As for myself, I have used several styles of hives 

 with hanging frames since I first commenced bee- 

 keeping, in 1863, and have still to-day one of the 

 ten-frame Langstroth observing hives, made that 

 year, in my apiary. I may also add, although some- 

 what foreign to the subject, that I purchased from 

 father Langstroth, and successfully introduced an 

 Italian queen to a colony of black bees, in the hive 

 referred to, 25 years ago. But, to resume. 



I finally settled, several years ago, on the eight- 

 frame L. hive, without bevels, having a plain flat 

 board, cleated at the ends, for a cover, with a full 

 bee-space above the frames, the bottom-board be- 

 ing loose, and having a % space on its upper sur- 

 face for entrance, etc. 



This hive, you will observe, is similar to your 

 Dovetailed hive, and also very much resembles the 

 old-style Heddon-Langstroth. Well, I liked it for 

 all purposes, and still do so; but I wish something 

 better, if it can be had; and thinking the closed- 

 end frames had advantages not possessed by any 

 other, you can not wonder that I lost no time in 

 securing 25 of the new Heddon hives as soon as 

 they were manufactured in Canada. 



Without further reference to this hive at present, 

 I will explain that I have entertained the hope of 

 soon establishing an out-apiary, and, therefore, 

 have the desire for some readily movable hive, and 

 one that can easily be prepared for moving speedi- 

 ly and safely from one location to another; and 

 while wishing to make this change, aside from the 

 mere " fun of the thing " 1 wish also that it be done 

 with as little expense as is consistent with securing 

 the end in view. I am not prepared by any means 

 to discard all my stock on hand, nor do I think it 

 necessary to do so; still, I am well aware, that, the 

 deeper the frame, the greater will be the difficulty 

 in securing an easily manipulated frame, especial- 

 ly of this description, as I prefer them spaced If 

 inches from center to center. I also am in favor of 

 a reversible frame independently of the pleasure of 

 having the comb securely attached to both top and 



