May 17, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



307 



BACKWARD Sl'KING IN NEW YORK. 



Our spring- here is very backward. The snowb;ml<s atid 

 ice in the lakes held on very late, and it did not warm up 

 sufficiently so I could set the bees from the cellar till the 

 18th and 20th of April, those at home being set out on tlie 

 first date, and the out-apiary on the latter. A few days of 

 comfortable weather brought out the elm and soft maple 

 bloom, but with it came cold high winds from the north- 

 west, with floating clouds. The bees seemed determined to 

 secure some of the pollen, so they would go to the trees 

 when the sun would come out only to be blown down by the 

 wind, and chilled when clouds went over the sun. In this 

 way things went on for a week when it came on freezing 

 nights, and on the mornings of May 4th and Sth the ground 

 was covered with snow, it snowing more or less all day the 

 Sth. There seems to be no warm-up to it, and the bees are 

 getting in hard shape. But I look for better days, and ex- 

 pect when it does warm up it will be hot enough to make up 

 for lost time. And the bees need the hot weather /toic. 

 Onondaga Co., N. Y., Mav 7. 



Some Improvements in Beeswax Extractors. 



BY C. G. FBKRIS. 



WHILE it is practical to render a very small quantity 

 of wax by the various ways discust and presented by 

 many of our bee-keepers. I would say to the apiarist 

 having anj' amount of combs to render, than he can not de- 

 pend upon some of the wax-extractors now offered. The 



T/ic Extractor Basket. 



larger the extractor the better the demand, and this to-day 

 contains nearly 4,000 cubic inches to work with in the bas- 

 kets. This, assisted by having extra baskets in reserve, 

 makes the working-space always to its fullest capacity. By 

 using the press and follower (see illustration) we can in a 

 few moments have the basket and refuse ready to be aken 

 from the extractor, and while the basket removed is being 

 cleaned an extra one takes its place, giving the operator 

 clean ones to continue the operation indefinitely. 



The baskets are interchangeable, as much so as the 

 frames in our hives : they are made of extra-heavj- galvan- 

 ized wirecloth in a most substantial manner, all in one 

 piece, united and soldered to galvanized hoop-iron at the 



Longitudinal View of tite Extractor. 



ends of the baskets. All rims and parts in their construc- 

 tion are made upon the self-spacing principle. 



To both Mr. Hetherington and Mr. Boomhower I am in- 

 debted for ideas and suggestions that have enabled me to 



place this wax-extractor in the position it occupies today. 

 Improvements will be made in the future as fast as pointed 

 out by my friends, and any that are found valuable in prac- 

 tical use will be paid for. d^ 

 The second cut is a longitudinal section showing the 

 basket and extractor cut thru the center. No. 14 is the fol- 

 lower, to be placed on top of refuse when ready to use the 



A Three-Basket Wax- Extractor. 



press. No. 11 is an iron bar holding the screw. No. 12 the 

 basket. To remove the bar and screw we give it a few 

 turns when the screw leaves the hole in the follower, when 

 a movement either way towards either end of the basket 

 (No. IS) releases one end, then the bar and screw can be 

 lifted from the basket. One motion puts it in place, and 

 the instant pressure is applied fastens it. 



Nos. 2, 6 and 7 are for the escape of steam and foul 

 odors to the stove. The surplus steam enters at No. 2 down 

 to No. 6, and in the stove at No 7, where an open lid or 

 ringed griddle should be used for the small extractors. No. 

 9 is where water is supplied to the tank, and also shows 

 when more water is needed, as when the water gets below 

 the top of the hole the steam escapes in volumes ; also, at 

 a glance, in attending to the extractor, we can see how 

 much water there is, as it shows from the outside. 



The above cut shows one of the most rapid machines 

 — a three-basket, using five to great advantage. The first 

 basket in this cut has half of it taken away to show the 

 follower and press in actual position. After using the 

 machine until the refuse becomes objectionable, put on the 

 follower. No. 14, adjust the screw and bar in the basket as 

 shown in the cut, and run the screw down as far as desired, 

 with this pressure under live steam there is no danger of 

 wax granulating by coming in contact with cold air as with 

 other devices that make it necessary to remove the refuse 

 from the baskets. The result can not be but highly gratify- 

 ing to practical bee-keepers. 



After draining under steam and pressure for a few 

 moments, one or more of the baskets should be removed, 

 and while the cleaning them out of refuse is going on, ex- 

 tra ones take there place, wherebj' no delay is caused in the 

 rendering, enabling us to get better results with the smaller 

 machines also ; for with a single-basket extractor, by using: 

 two baskets, the rendering is not interfered with by the re- 

 fuse. With a two-basket machine of course we do double 

 the business done with a single. We get the greatest results 

 ever attained in a steam wax-extractor by using five bas- 

 kets, as stated above. 



Spreading- Brood— Its Dangers and Advantag-es. 



BY C. DAVENPORT. 



THERE has in the past been some discussion in regard- 

 to spreading brood in the spring in order to increase 

 brood-rearing, and thus have a larger force of bees for 

 the early white honey-flow. Like many other things dis- 

 cust in relation to our pursuit, there are some who 

 are strong advocates of the practice, and others who 

 oppose or condemn it. Mr. Doolittle, who it is need- 

 less for me to say is one of the most experienced and practi- 

 cal men in our ranks, advocates and practices this spread- 

 ing of brood in the sjjring, and it is a success in his hands ; 

 but many of us lack the skill and judgment he possesses,, 

 and then I think, too, locality has a great deal to do with. 



