820 



GLEANINGS IN iJEE (JULTUitE. 



Nov 



except when removed by force. The center of the 

 lens must, of course, be exactb- under the center 

 of the mirror. 



Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig-, o a rear-end view of 

 the slide, showing- how the side edg:es are rabbeted 

 to fit in the grooves h (Figs. 1 and 3). 



The camera-head is put together with ^4 -inch 

 wire nails driven about an incli apart. Before put- 

 ting it together, the inside surfaces, as well as the 

 slide, should be painted a dull black color to pre- 

 vent any reflection of light. The outside may after- 

 ward be painted to suit the taste. I prefer black. 



Any good box of suitable size will do for the cam- 

 era. Fig. 6. I use a common cracker-box, 23^4 inch- 

 es long, 14'/^ inches wide, and 13'4 inches deep, inside 

 measurement. This is placed on end, so that the 

 top will be the open side of the camera. In the 

 center of what is now the top is cut a hole to just 

 admit the camera-liead. It is best at first to have 

 the camera-head tit rather tightly, so that it will 

 stay where you place it, and not slip down. Now 

 lay a sheet of white paper on the bottom of the 

 camera (the inside of which should also be painted 

 a dull black); place this on a level table, face the 

 camera toward a house or other object at adistance 

 of l.")0 to 200 feet, arrange the cloth over the camera 

 and yourself (ha.ing your head under the cloth, 

 and as much of your person as it will cover), and 

 look at the picture on the gaper. By moving the 

 camera-head up and down you will get the picture 

 more or less distinct. When you have the picture 

 perfectly clear, the focus is right. In ray camera 

 it is 2OI4 inches from the under side of the lens 

 to the bottom of the camera. Now scratch with a 

 knife-point a line all round the four sides of 

 the camera-head, even with the top of the hole in 

 which it sits (on the line of //, Fig. 6), and where 

 these lines come, fasten, with 'a-inch wire nails, 4 

 small square sticks ((/, Figs. 1, 2, and 0), on the four 

 sides of the camera-head. You may now enlarge 

 the hole in the camera, so that the camera-head will 

 go in and out easily. The four strips will prevent 

 it from dropping- through. 



For nearer objects a little longer focus is needed. 

 This is effected by placing loose sticks, as pieces of 

 sections or of frames, under the strips, y, only tak- 

 ing care that no light is admitted round the edges 

 of the hole. One half-inch is as much as I ha\'e 

 found it necessary to raise the camera-head. 



It is necessary to have the camera obscura so 

 high that the operator's head will not obstruct the 

 view reflected through the mirror. 



When every thing is ready, and you wish lo fix the 

 picture on the paper, all you have to do is to fasten 

 the paper with tacks (flat-headed drawing-tacks are 

 sold for this purpose) and then with a leadpencil 

 trace the lines of the picture. When drawing- trees 

 or other objects that are liable to be moved by the 

 wind, the air should be perfectly still, as the picture 

 will show every object in view, moving or station- 

 ary, and in its natural colors. 



I hope that this description will enable any one to 

 make a good camera obscura of his own, and that 

 the result will be lots of instructive pictures in 



r.LEANINGS. Wm. MUTH-RASMUSSEN. 



Independence, Cal., eept. 19, 1887. 



Friend M., your very clear and plain direc- 

 tions will, without doubt, enable any one to 

 make an excellent camera obscura, and the 

 instrument is worth all it costs, as a pleas- 

 ing inistime for a family of children, to say 



nothing about its value for drawing. I pre- 

 sume the reason tliat camera obscuras are 

 so little used nowadays is because a whole 

 photographic outfit and material can be fur- 

 nished for from five to ten dollars. Most of 

 the pictures that have recently appeared in 

 Gleanings were taken witli "one of these 

 instruments, including tlie picture of our 

 factory, as well as the interior of our office, 

 and also some of horses in rapid motion, 

 men marching, etc. Jn fact, this ten-dollar 

 instrument has produced some as good pic- 

 tures of buildings, machinery, etc., as I ever 

 saw made with any instrument in the hands 

 of an expert photographer. These pictures 

 were all taken by a young man who took up 

 the business of his own accord, and with but 

 limited practice. 



ONE "WHO HAS GOT THE BEE-FEVER. 



ITALIANS COMPAREIl WITH BLACKS; THAT BEVEL- 

 ED EDGE. 



Tip BOUT three years ago, through curiosity I 

 4i\ll purchased two hives of black bees, as there 

 ^^K were no others to be had. Luckily for me, a 

 '*''*^ man came to our town shortly after, advo- 

 cating the Simplicity hive and Italian bees. 

 I happened to go in where he was putting up Sim- 

 plicity hives, and heard him speak of Gleanings. 

 I was very curious to know more about it, but hesi- 

 tated to ask him (knowing that there is a wonderful 

 amount of selfishness in some people) for fear he 

 might think I might attempt to compete with him 

 in the business. However, 1 ventured to seek the 

 much-desired information, and asked him to spend 

 the night with me. To tell the truth, I afterward 

 felt a little ashamed of myself for ray uncalled-for 

 suspicions as to his selfishness. I found him to be 

 a nice Christian gentleman, and he not only gave 

 me the address of Gleanings, but a good deal of 

 practical information about bee-keeping. Then I 

 did take bees right, so I at once sent for your cata- 

 logue and GLEANiN(is; and from that to your much- 

 appreciated A B C book, which I have thoroughly 

 studied. The conseciuence is, I have the bee-fever 

 still. I then came to the conclusion that I raust 

 have some of those beautiful Italians, so I sent to 

 A. I. Root for a dollar queen. She came all right. I 

 was successful in introducing her to one of my black 

 stocks. She proved to be purely raated ; and her 

 workers were so pretty, so gentle, and so industri- 

 ous, that I then had not only bees on the brain, but 

 Italian bees. You raay think it strange that I ara 

 still down with the bee-fever, when I tell you that I 

 have not sold a single pound of honey. I have one 

 of Prof. Cook's "queens" and two little bees in the 

 house, which I consider a God-given blessing. They, 

 with myself, very much like the coveted sweets, 

 and we use a considerable amount of it. I should 

 have had plenty of honey this jear, had it not been 

 for the long drought that has been so disastrous in 

 so many States. The Italians have done well. They 

 have some surplus, and are in splendid condition 

 for Avinter, while the blacks, just a few hundred 

 yards from me, have gone to naught. Even my 

 hybrids have scarcely made enough to live on. 1 

 tell you, friend Root, I will not be bothered by 

 black bees any more. I think the bee-men around 

 here have at last decided to adopt the Italian bees 



