Feb. 22 1906 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



159 



American Bee Journal ; if it did so, it was without any 

 authority from us. We are satisfied, however, that there is 

 a misunderstanding. We trust this explanation will be 

 satisfactory. 



An Example Worth Copying.— Wm. Stolley, of Grand 

 Island., Nebr., isoneof the staunch friends of the American 

 Bee Journal. On Jan. 29 he sent us a new subscription, and 

 among other things wrote as follows : 



Editor York :— I hope that every subscriber for the 

 " old reliable " American Bee Journal will send you this year 

 at least one new subscription, and thus show, practically, 

 their appreciation of it. I have done this for a number of 

 years, and wish I had been able to do more. 



Wm. Stolley. 



If every one of our present subscribers would follow 

 Mr. Stolley's good example within the next 30 days, of 

 course our list of readers would just be doubled. Then if 

 another year it could be repeated, we would have the largest 

 list of real bee-keepers to a real bee-paper that there is in 

 the world. Surely this is worth striving for. 



But there may be some of our readers who could not 

 possibly get even one new subscriber, and yet perhaps in 

 such cases they might make a present of a year's subscrip- 

 tion to some bee-keeper friend in some other locality or 

 State. After the first year, very likely such new subscriber 

 would renew, and perhaps himself secure another new sub- 

 scription for the American Bee Journal. If it could be 

 worked something like the chain-letter system that was 

 in vogue a few years ago, and if it would prove as success- 

 ful as was that plan of increase, it would be a great thing, 

 not only for us, but for all the readers of the old American 

 Bee Journal. For if we could have several times as large a 

 list of regular subscribers as we have at present, we could 

 add a number of new features and improvements that would 

 be possible with the increased receipts received from sub- 

 scriptions and advertising. In the meantime, however, we 

 mean to give the biggest and best dollar's worth of bee- 

 literature every year that we can possibly afford. 



Please don't forget Mr. Stolley's good work for the 

 American Bee Journal. We hope as many as possible of 

 our present subscribers will see if they can not " go and do 

 likewise." 



4- (£ontrtbuteb * 

 Special CCrtrcles 



J 



Sections, Separators, Supers and Section- 

 Holders 



BY F. GREINER 



WHILE we were casing our comb honey last fall, many 

 things suggested themselves having close bearing 

 on our pursuit, and it might be well, and of benefit to 

 others, to jot these down on paper. 



Our attention was first drawn to the sections themselves. 

 We had bought sections of an untried firm last season. We 

 thought we were saving a few cents on a thousand, but 

 found that we had made a very big mistake. In the first 

 place, the lumber used for the sections must have been 

 green, for they were minus that glossy finish which we have 

 admired in sections bought of late years from the large 

 manufacturers. The outside part of the sections was fuzzy, 

 and it was impossible to touch them without leaving "finger- 

 marks." Dust and dirt adhered to them very tenaciously, 

 and a sandpapering machine would have come very handy 

 to improve their appearance. 



After casing this honey and comparing it with honey in 

 sections from the previous year, we have resolved not to be 

 too saving again when purchasing our supply of sections. 



Before giving cur order to a new firm we should want to see 

 their work, and insist on a guaranty that the sections 

 sent us must be No. 1 in every respect. 



It is our aim to purchase our supplies early, in order to 

 obtain the greatest discount, but I would not want to send 

 the cash for the whole amount with the order, when order- 

 ing from some new firm. Other faults of the sections I 

 will not mention here at this time. 



I have two different kinds of sections in use— the 

 4x5 plain, and the 4x5 bee-way. In taking the honey out of 

 the supers and scraping the sections, I found I could handle 

 more of the no-bee-ways in a given time, other conditions 

 being the same. Still, this difference did not amount to 

 much. Generally speaking, I prefer the bee-ways, but have 

 more of the no-bee-ways in use. I have decided not to in- 

 crease my stock of no-bee-way supers. 



Fences vs. Plain Separators. 



I have failed to discover any difference in favor of 

 fences, as against plain, solid separators when both are of 

 wood. It is my opinion that if we wish to enjoy any bene- 

 fits in this line we will have to adopt a separator that is all 

 "hole" or practically so. The Betsinger wire-cloth sepa- 

 rator, with ^-inch mesh, would perhaps fill the bill better 



Part of F. Qreiner's 1005 Honey Crop. 



than anything else in use. It is my opinion that this sep- 

 arator will be tested and adopted by many comb-honey 

 producers in the near future. It is more expensive than any 

 other separator, but it is enough better to justify the extra 

 expense. If any manufacturer had pushed this separator 

 as other more inferior ones have been pushed of late years, 

 I believe that it would take the lead to-day. A wholesale 

 way of manufacturing it would, in all probability, reduce 

 the cost very materially. I hope that time will soon be here. 



Supers of Various Kinds. 



Which super is the best, the most convenient, and gives 

 the least trouble in the bee-yard and in the honey-house? 

 This question has impressed me as one of very great impor- 

 tance. It comes up again and again during the time of 

 casing honey. It seems a matter difficult to explain, that 

 bee-keepers use — continue to use — such unsatisfactory comb- 

 honey supers as are sent out universally by the manufac- 

 turers. I should think they would ■'bolt." I have numerous 

 different supers in use, not only one or two of a kind, but 

 20, 30 or 50 of a kind. This gives me an opportunity to test 

 each one's merits. 



We may divide the different supers into three classes. 

 One class protects the section all around ; the second class 

 leaves the tops unprotected ; the third class protects only 

 the sides, but leaves the tops and bottoms exposed to the 

 bees. Some of these classes may be subdivided again, for 

 there may be a bee-space at the ends of the section-holders, 

 or the sections may be close-fitting. Supers with the latter 

 kind should be rejected to begin with, for that end of the 

 section which touches the outside case is seldom as well fin- 

 ished as the other end. The illustration shows one section 

 which was taken from such a super, and any one can easily 

 tell which part of the same came next to the outside of the 

 section-holder and outside of the case. Had there been a. 

 bee-space between the section-holder and super wall, this 

 section would have been sealed clear to the wood, and all 

 around. (See picture on next page). 



That super which gives us the cleanest sections when 



