1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



773 



to-date, and made in the most substantial 

 manner. Bananas g'ave shade to the hives, 

 and I have found that quite a number of 

 bee-men resort to this quick-growing and 

 large-leaved tree for shade. The apiar3' 

 was in charge of an alert young Cuban; 

 and 800 gallons, or 8 bocoys, had already 

 been extracted. The regular eight-frame 

 hive and an occasional ten-frame hive are 

 used; and the queen-excluder is freely used; 

 and I think by keeping the queen down to 

 one shallow super, the bees allowed her to 

 fill it with brood, and put their honey all 

 above. In this matter I saw one advantage 

 of the Heddon hive above others; but Bro. 

 Somerford would have none of it. 



Perhaps the reader will remember how 

 the Rambler overcame the problem of mak- 

 ing a drop from tank to can in Central Cal- 

 ifornia; but here we find the doctor accom- 

 plishing the same thing in a different way. 

 By referring to the photo you will first no- 

 tice the 100-gallon bocoy. Above this is a 

 400-gallon tank; above this the four-frame 

 Cowan extractor and a Dadant uncapping- 

 can. We might dignify this elevation as 

 the gallery, fully seven feet from the floor, 

 and having a substantial railing around it, 

 and provided with substantial stairs. 



The supers to be extracted are piled on 

 the floor, and two hives at a time are ele- 

 vated to the gallery by the rope and pulley. 



EXTRACTING HOUSE AND OUTFIT. 



I discovered that the hive was somewhat 

 in disfavor on account of the swelling pro- 

 pensity of the frames and thumbscrews; 

 then the hive must be well made to work 

 smoothly, and it was evident that some mis- 

 takes had been made in the putting-up of 

 these hives. It is quite possible that the 

 inventor of the hive had an idea that he had 

 reached perfection when the hive was plac- 

 ed before the public; but from my own ex- 

 perience with the hive, the supports to the 

 frames and compression by thumbscrews 

 are capable of much improvement, and will 

 be subject to it in the near future. 



I learned that, from these causes, and not 

 from the system itself, the doctor was about 

 to change to the regular L. hive. 



The doctor's honey-house was a very sub- 

 stantial stone building. My photo of the 

 interior was necessarily cramped, and I 

 have allowed the artist to touch out the 

 cramped portions to show more clearl}- how 

 the extracting was done. 



as shown. When extracted, and the frames 

 replaced, a number of supers are let down 

 together. 



The large window by the young man is 

 covered with wire cloth, and there is a 

 brilliant light for all operations. 



There is not the least doubt but this drop 

 from extractor to tank, from tank to bocoy, 

 is most agreeable and effective. As to the 

 elevation of all supers to the gallery, I be- 

 lieve I should prefer that as automatic as 

 the other, and would plan with that end in 

 view. 



In an ante-room I found a box fully 6 ft. 

 square. This could also be elevated by 

 means of weights, cords, and pulleys. Emp- 

 ty combs could be piled up in proper racks; 

 then sulphur was set on fire, and the tight 

 box dropped over the burning brimstone, 

 and there was a most effectual moth-eradi- 

 cation. 



The young Cuban in attendance tell Mr. 

 S. th.it one day, after the sulphur fumes 



