7J2 



THE AMERICAN BEE J0LH1>ac. 



Nov. S, 1903. 





Contributed Articles 





How to Use a "Bingham" Honey-Knife. 



BY T. F. BINGHAM. 



I HAVE regarded this invention as a scientific discovery. 

 The knife does what it does because so little of it rests in 

 the honey to be uncapped. The honey is fixed, and com- 

 paratively rigid, yet plastic. Were the knife to lie flat in 

 the honey the atmospheric pressure would be approximately 

 195 pounds upon its upper surface. The adhesiveness of 

 the honey does not readily 

 admit the air to the under- 

 side from any usual cause, 

 hence to move it is to move 

 at least a part of 195 pounds 

 pressure. No one will fail to 

 see that by turning the knife 

 in such a way as to allow a 

 part, or all. of the 195 pounds 

 atmospheric pressure to pass 

 under it, it would not stick. I 

 think the above explains why 

 the '4 -inch bevel resting on 

 the uncapped honey does not 

 tear the cells— the only fixed 

 matter in contact with it. The 

 caps, as cut off, are movable, 

 and do not hinder the free 

 movement of the knife. The 

 knife, as constructed, is sim- 

 ply less than 'i of an inch 

 T. F. BiNQHA.M. widc, merely a sharp edge 



which moves readily over the 

 honey and beneath the caps; the other 1'+ inch blade is 

 merely an apron to keep the caps from failing back upon 

 the uncapped honey. 



It will be readily seen that the bevel is the knife, and 

 that this bevel depends upon the thickness of that part just 

 back of the edge. That is why the knives are so thick. They 

 should always be sharpened on the beveled side. I have 

 been using to-day the first knife of the kind ever made. 

 (It cost me *2 00 in the edge-tool factory where all my knives 

 are made). It is a perfect tool, and while a little wider than 

 now made it can not be improved. A pound of steel makes 

 about three blades. 



I have often seen accounts of how to use an uncapping- 

 knife, and while I don't know how they should be used, I 

 will state briefly how I use mine. 



I have a pail (wooden) so as not to dull the knife, or a 

 shallow pan, filled with ordinarily cool water, into which I 

 drop the knife whenever time will permit. The water re- 

 moves the honey from the sharp edge, and is a great aid in 

 starting the knife under the caps. It is at the starting 

 point that the trouble begins. If it gets a clean start all 

 goes well. Never use hot water; the wax will stick to the 



HINUHAM UONEY-KNIFE. 



(ShowiDg lower side with beveled edges.) 



knife, and, when it does, the knife might as well be iron as 

 steel, as the edge will be thick with wax and will not cut — 

 merely melt its way through the combs. 



On this water question, I would just say that soap and 

 cold water will remove bee-glue from your hands better 

 than hot water ; and if water and soap won't do it, a table- 

 spoonful of clear alcohol will soften the wax, after which 

 soap and water will do the rest. 



Some might suppose that the water would rust and spoil 

 the knife, but honey-sweetened water does not. It may lie 

 in such water days without injury. 



We are having great rains. Early honey was abundant 

 and fine. Nothing but bees after July 5 I have just 

 doubled up ray colonies, and they have enough honey for 



winter. I put ISO colonies into 75 to do it, and they are not 

 short of bees or honey. It gave me a nice opportunity to 

 weed out the hybrid queens, as 75 had to be removed. It 

 took me from 5 to 7 hours per day, for 3 days, and not a sin- 

 gle comb separately was changed in any of the hives. This 

 feat could not have been performed in any other apiary in 

 the United States or Canada, perhaps in the world. 



Clare Co., Mich., Oct. 17. 



Bee-Keeping on a Poultry Farm. 



BY VICTOR D. CANBI>AV. 



AS I have been asked to contribute a paper for this meet- 

 ing, I will endeavor to give an outline of my experience 

 in bee-keeping, and state why we chose to keep bees in 

 connection with the breeding and rearing of our thorough- 

 bred poultry. 



About the middle of December, 1899, we bought 3 colo- 

 nies of bees for S5.00, the low price inducing us at that time 

 to begin bee-keeping. We wintered them in our house-cel- 

 lar, and the following summer, although a very poor year, 

 and many around us had scarcely a swarm and no surplus 

 honey, the 3 colonies increased to 7, and gave us 40 pounds 

 of surplus honey. 



During the season of 1901, the 7 colonies gave us nearly 

 800 pounds of surplus honey, and increased to 15 colonies. 

 Our best colonj- that year gave us 105 pounds of surplus 

 from the first swarm, and 65 pounds from the old colony 

 itself, making a total yield of 170 pounds of comb honey. 

 We sold 5 colonies, and began with 10 last spring, which in- 

 creased to 18, and of that number we had 14 left, the others 

 having been sold. The honey yield with us, this year, was 

 only about half what it was in 1901, the 10 colonies of last 

 spring's count giving us a yield of only about 600 pounds of 

 surplus. So far, we have not lost a colony in any way, 

 with the exception of two swarms which left for the woods 

 without proper warning. 



With the success we have had from the outset, you will 

 not be surprised that we are quite favorably impressed with 

 bee-keeping as an adjunct to poultry-raising and fruit-grow- 

 ing. 



Perhaps the one thing which most strongly influences 

 people to engage in bee-keeping is their liking for honey, 

 and with us the supply of honey for our own table was the 

 first consideration. 



Bee-keeping is particularly adapted as an adjunct to 

 poultry-farming, owing to the fact that the heaviest part of 

 the work among the bees comes at a time when the poultry 

 work is comparatively light. On most practical poultry 

 farms the hatching season closes with May, and the work 

 during the remainder of the season is comparatively light, 

 while the work with the bees is most exacting from the last 

 of May, through June and July. If the poultry-keeper 

 chooses to bend most of his energies to obtaining fall and 

 winter eggs, which are the most productive of profit, he is 

 free to give them his entire attention, as the bees require 

 but very little of his time at these seasons. 



The labor of both beekeeping and poultry-raising is 

 comparatively light work, and to one not overly strong, and 

 who feels the need of an open-air life, there are few occupa- 

 tions which are more attractive and fascinating, and cer- 

 tainly few which require so little capital to be invested, and 

 yet are capable of furnishing one with a good living, if not 

 something besides. 



In keeping either bees or poultry, it is essential that one 

 apply themselves closely to the work ; although not heavy 

 nor particularly taxing on one's strength, they require con- 

 stant and systematic attention to insure best results. 



Perhaps one very much disinclined to stay at home 

 closely would not find them congenial employment, owing 

 to this particular feature. This, however, would prove no 

 objection to home life and rural surroundings. In fact, 

 such would find it rather a pleasure to stay at home and 

 give these interests the care and attention they require. 



Our farm consists of only ten acres, and is devoted to 

 the breeding and raising of pure-bred, white Plymouth 

 Rocks for breeding purposes. Our busiest times are doing 

 the fall and winter, with the selling and shipping of breed- 

 ing fowls, and during the spring with the sales and ship- 

 ments of eggs for hatching purposes. Thus, you will see 

 our work with bees comes at a time when other work is not 

 so pressing. We have quite an orchard of plum trees well 

 started on the farm, to furnish shade for the chickens and 

 incidentally fruit for our table, and for sale. 



