474 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Aug. 1 



so than one could start a four-frame by hand, 

 and I think much less time would be con- 

 sumed in manipulating one eight-frame than 

 two four-frame extractors. 



As for breakages, I have had but one, and 

 that was the band brake, which delayed us 

 but a few minutes, as I put a piece of leather 

 in its place. This worked nicely until I re- 

 ceived a new one that the manufacturers 

 kindly furnished me free of charge. 



I have different helpers nearly every year, 

 and my machines get some pretty hard usage, 

 but not so' hard as to let a filled frame drop 

 into a basket; and if we did so by accident I 

 would not only expect it to knock the bot- 

 tom out of the basket but I guess I should 

 look for it in the cellar bottom, no matter 

 what make of extractor I was using. 



Notwithstanding Mr. Cox's experience is 

 quite different from mine, it is well to hear 

 both sides, as many bee-men come to see my 

 machines work, and express their satisfaction 

 and determination to have one like them, 

 and I do not want any one deceived. If oth- 

 ers have had experiences different from 

 mine it is well for those who contemplate 

 buying to know it. I have always taken an 

 interest in machinery, and perhaps might be 

 more successful than one who never took an 

 interest in it. 



I believe, however, that every large pro- 

 ducer of honey will in time have power- 

 driven extractors, or at least the most of 

 them. They are practical, and save time, 

 money, and hard work; and those are three 

 things that men are striving for. They are 

 only waiting to see if they are a success or 

 not, and no doubt many more would be using 

 them now if they could get rid of their old 

 machines. I was fortunate in getting rid of 

 mine at a fair price. Of course, some will 

 succeed while others fail with them as with 

 every thing else. 



A man of whom I bought bees twelve years 

 ago (he had kept bees s&veral years prior to 

 that time) told my neighbor that he knew of 

 a good place to set some bees, as there was 

 some kind of sticky weed grew there "that 

 the bees could get to make comb of." I have 

 my doubts about that ■ man ever making a 

 success of the bee business, either with or 

 without a power-driven extractor. 



Jamul, Cal., 



A HOME-MADE EXTRACTOR-BRAKE. 



BY G. C. GREINER. 



Since I have been the fortunate possessor 

 of a two-frame reversible honey-extractor I 

 have greatly enjoyed its use oh account of 

 its many good points. At the same time I 

 have been forcioly impressed that the addi- 

 tion of a brake to stop or reduce the motion 

 of the comb-baskets would be a desirable 

 feature. I have used a brake of my own con- 

 struction, with all my last summer's extract- 

 ing, and found it a great improvement. It 

 requires a little ingenuity ana a few tools to 

 malce it. The first step is to prepare the re- 



volving frame or reel. A hard-wood pulley, 

 about 3 in. in diameter, has to be fitted around 

 the little cast-iron hub that receives the reel- 

 shaft. A shallow transverse groove on the 

 under side of the pulley slips over the frame- 

 work of the reel, and this, together with the 

 set-screw that connects the gear-shaft and 

 hub, keeps the pulley from whirling around. 



See Fig. 1. To tighten the set-screw a spe- 

 cial wrench is necessary. This is easily made 

 by filing a notch in the end of a piece of 's- 

 inch round iron or steel, and supplying the 

 other end with a handle. 



A pattern of the main part of the brake is 

 shown at Fig. 2. The material I used is one- 

 inch whitewood, which seems to answer 

 quite well, although oak or some other hard 

 wood might be more substantial. Fig. 3 

 shows the brake attached to the iron cross- 

 bar. 



When running the extractor I use my right 

 hand to turn the crank, and operate the brake 

 with my left. A slight pressure of the latter 

 will stop or reduce the speed of the baskets, 

 as may be desired, while the right hand does 

 the reversing. 



One point must not be overlooked. The 

 circular opening, which surrounds the pulley 

 and acts as brake-blocks, should, in its natu- 

 ral position, be loosely fitted so that it may 

 not act as a self-brake. Even a little play 

 will do no harm. The spring of the long 

 narrow sides will admit of applying the pres- 

 sure whenever desired. 



LaSalle, N. Y. 



[We have tried brakes on this principle; 

 but in comparison with the street-car band 

 brakes, such as are now used on all automat- 

 ic reversible extractors, they lack sufficient 

 power to do the work easily and quickly. — 

 Ed.] 



A FIELD DAY IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



The Massachusetts Society of Bee-keepers, 

 judging from a recent announcement, is a 

 very progressive organization. There is to 

 be a field day at the home of Henry W. Brit- 

 ton, Stoughton, Mass., on Auij. 7. An excel- 

 lent program has been provided, as well as 

 refreshments. Those in the vicinity would 

 do well to attend. 



