DE(^FMBKR IT), 101 j 



1029 



consensus of opinion expressed in the bee- 

 papers 1 iiad come to the conclusion that 

 for extracted honey, at any rate, the spac- 

 iiisr-device should not be part of the frame, 

 as any kind of spacing' interfered with the 

 ease and rapidity of uncapping-. 



Figs. 1 and 2 show how I got out of the 

 ditliculty. I intended at first to patent the 

 arrangement; but although I have taken 

 out several patents in gas and electrical 

 engineering, and even had the rare luck of 

 making some money out of them, I always 

 look with some suspicion on the financial 

 possibilities of a patent in beekeeping ap- 

 l)aratus. The sketch suilicicntly explains 

 the device. 



The frames are here simply thrown in 

 tlie hives, and they will automatically space 

 themselves. They can be picked out any 

 time Avithout tools. The top-bars can be 

 inished away from one another for the 

 jiurpose of looking for brood or queen-cells 

 without taking a frame out. There is prac- 

 tically no chance of killing anj' bees. These 

 frames can be cai'ted about Cjuite as safely 

 as Iloflfman frames; and even with hives 

 only partly filled with frames there is no 

 necessity of doing any stowing away. The 

 hive would cost a little moi-e than the stan- 

 dard dovetailed, but the frames would be 

 cheaper. 



F,ff 2. 



Section through Tip I on line Y Z 

 as seen aiong arrc)v\ 



'V 



Fio. 2. 

 Xos. 1 — 5, same as for Fig. 1; 6, nailholee; G, 

 <le«?p notch in plate 3 and wood strip 5 for holding 

 pivots. 



The double groove and wedge proved too 

 refined for West Indian labor. Besides, 

 wlien the worms eat down the combs, as it 

 often happens in out-ajiiaries, the wedge 

 and tliin strip are invariably eaten out, 

 which makes it difiicult to attach new foun- 

 dation satisfactorily. With the roller shf)wn 

 in Fig. 3 the foundation can be very firmly 

 nlta«-iird to a plain top-bar in very (|ui(k 



time. The foundation must be slightly 

 warmed in the sun before putting it in. 



Even the ordinary spur imbedder had to 

 be altered as sliown in Figs. 5 and 6, where 

 one of the side plates is prolonged and bent 

 at right angles just in front of the wheel 

 and a small notch filed out to gi;ide the 

 wire. With this implement wire can be 



Figs. 3 axd 4. 

 1, handle (hard wood) ; 2, wood roller; 3, babbitt 

 metal ; 4, steel screw ; 5, brass guide ; 6, brass 

 screws for attaching guide. 



Figs. 5 and 6. 

 1, brass spur-wheel % inch thick, % inch diam- 

 eter, 36 pitch; 2, side plate prolonged, and bent at 

 right angle in point of wheel 1 ; 3 and 4, rivets ; 5, 

 small V notch for guilding wire. 



exj^editiously imbedded, even in the dark, 

 as the roller cannot come off the wii-e. I 

 use a very thick brass cog"wheel with fine 

 cogs without any set, thus firmly imbedding 

 the wire without damaging the foundation. 



For the last ten years I have made all 

 my supplies, such as hives, frames, smokers, 

 veil, foundation, shipping-cases, etc., and 

 even an extractor. I own a small machine- 

 shop with circular saws, engine-lathe, bor- 

 ing-machine, etc., with a fair supply of 

 different boring and machine tools. The 

 whole show is driven by a 2V2 H. P. gaso- 

 line-engine. 



It certainly pays to make foundation, 

 whatever Arthur C. Miller may think. With 

 what was worth 20 cents here, and light 

 brood foundation at least 60 cents, there is 

 a saving of $100 on the first 400 pounds of 

 foundation made. It is true that, in the 

 hands of many, the making of proper foun- 

 dation is a tedious and unsatisfactory job. 

 It takes some experience, and the instruc- 

 tions sent out with the machines are not 

 worth much. 



St. Liicia. West Indies. 



