MARCH 1. 1915 



195 



tile syrup readily. In fact, while carrying 

 out some experiments in 1012 for the editors 

 of Gi.KANiN'cjs 1 led some colonies like this 

 late in December, when the weather was de- 

 cidedly cold. Some other feeders are no 



doubt just as good; but 1 doubt if any are 

 always just as handy to use and just as easy 

 to get. Ti-y them and see if you do not 

 agree with me. 

 Markham, Ont. 



THE APITRAM; BEEKEEPING WITH THE LABOR LEFT OUT 



BY WILLIAM BEUCUS 



In beekeei)ing there is, at present, a great 

 deal of labor wasted. Wooden hive-stands 

 decay, warp, crack, come loose at the cor- 

 ners, and become unlevel. They must be 

 repaired, leveled, and replaced, all of which 

 costs much labor and money and time in 

 addition. When the honey-flow arrives it 

 becomes necessary to go through all colonies 

 to determine what shall be done to prevent 

 swarming. To get to the vital part, the 

 brood-chamber, it is necessary to lift off the 

 supers, and, when the examination is over, 

 lift them back again. When a swarm issues, 

 the supers must again be handled to get to 

 the brood-chamber for the purpose of shak- 

 ing or brushing off bees. Every examination 

 and every manipulation which involves the 

 brood-chamber is necessarily preceded by a 

 great deal of unnecessai-y hard work. 



When the time comes to rem.ove the crop, 

 still more hard work must be done. It is no 

 fun. even for a powerful man, to handle all 

 day chambers of extracted honey weighing 

 7.5 pounds. Some effort has been made to 

 overcome this. One uses a wheelbarrow, 

 another uses a heavy wooden track and a 

 car to run on it ; but still the entire crop 

 must be lifted bodily and transported to the 

 car, a distance more or less great, and then 

 lifted off again. There is more heavy work 

 in the fall and more in the spring in moving 

 bees in and out of the cellar. 



The apitram, shown in the illustration, 

 was invented primarily to overcome the la- 

 l)or of lifting off heavy chambers of extract- 

 ed honey during the honey-flow. Inciden- 

 tally a large amount of other work has been 

 eliminated. 



As a hive-stand, the apitram. once it is 

 properly set up. overcomes the labor of 

 leveling hives from time to time. Made 

 entirely of iron it is indestructil)le — there is 

 no depreciation. It is collapsible, and is, 

 therefore, portable. The removal of a few 

 stove-bolts separates the sections which may 

 be put on to a wagon, when collapsed, and 

 moved to a new location. 



Fig. 1 in the photog'raph shows the 

 apitram just after it was set up. The sup- 

 ports are of wood ; but these will be replaced 

 by combined rests and stakes made of iron. 



which will be very much cheaper in the long 

 run. To prevent these combined rests and 

 stakes from sinking they will be run through 

 an adjustable galvanized plate which will 

 lest on the surface of the soil. 



Fig. 2 shows six colonies in place. The 

 center ones, numbered 29 and 30, face to- 

 ward the camera, and the two on either side 

 face in the opposite directions. This illus- 

 tration shows the possibilities in neatness. 



Fig. 3 shows bow combs may be removed 

 between the rails of angle iron. 



Fig. 4 shows the lessertram, as we call 

 it — a contrivance by means of which the 

 brood-chamber is rolled out from under the 

 upper stories for inspection, removal of 

 combs, forced swarming, replacing queens, 

 etc. 



Fig. .5 shows the brood-chamber drawn 

 out and examination of combs taking place. 

 iSTotice that the smoker is hung conveniently 

 near. Two projections of iron, about two 

 inches long, will later be riveted to the 

 opposite side to furnish a support for the 

 first comb removed or for the division-board. 

 In front a part will be fixed for the scissors 

 and the hive-tool. 



Withdrawal of the brood-chamber is ac- 

 complished as follows : The T, shown in Fig. 

 2 and also in Fig. 1, just below the caster, 

 is shoved back. This lowers the rear end of 

 the brood-chamber. The lessertram is slid 

 over into place and the hook rolled up until 

 the point is well under the hive-bottom. The 

 wheels are now allowed to roll down as far 

 as they can, which tightens the grip. Two 

 blocks, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, are 

 removed fi'om the tin channels in which they 

 slide, thus loAvering the forward end of the 

 hive which now, in most cases, begins to roll 

 forward. With a slight ]iull the chamber is 

 brought out as far as it will go. As there 

 are two casters at the back of the hive, which 

 run in the tin channels, and as the two 

 wheels on the lessertram are of the roller- 

 bearing type, the chamber sometimes rolls 

 half way out without being assisted. The 

 tin channels make it impossible for the cast- 

 ers to run sidewise when shoving the cham- 

 ber back. It must go back to the point from 

 which it came. 



