300 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



April 5, 1906 



not granted to every one, of course, but usually to one in 

 every community— as a rule, to the nmst extensive and 

 wide-awake bee-keeper who applies for them. Besides 

 what may be saved in this way, there is always a consider- 

 able discount allowed on out-of-season orders, and all this 

 is, to my mind, economy which may be profitably prac- 

 tised. 



But returning to hives once more. If the bee-keeper 

 has upwards of 40 colonies, especially if he expects to 

 increase to any great extent, it will pav him to put in such 

 machinery as is necessary to cut down his own hives Par- 

 ticularly is this true if he has already some kind of avail- 

 able power with which to run it. Cutting machinery alone 

 costs but little, and. if many hives are needed, will easily 

 pay for itself several times over in a single season. We 

 have used a home-made hive-cutting machine ever since 

 we began keeping bees, and have found it in every respect 

 perfectly satisfactory. 



Even if one has no power of any kind, it might pay 

 to buy one, especially on the farm, where it could be used 

 for many other kinds of work. A gasoline engine of from 

 one to three horse power is now comparatively inexpen- 

 sive, and one of the coming essentials on the farm. 



But there are other ways of managing. One extensive 

 bee-keeper whom I know solves the hive-making problem 

 to his satisfaction by hauling his material to a lumber- 

 hmshing null and hiring it cut up into hive parts. A few 

 days extra work and a small cash outlay enable him to 

 get his hives at a figure considerably below factory prices. 



Again, in most high-class carpenter shops there are 

 small power-saws, and, as a rule, the owners are glad to 

 do, for a reasonable sum, such work as may be had during 

 the slack winter season. If many hives are wanted, it will 

 be found cheaper to hire them cut than to buy them so. 



But, as said before, the better way is to put in such 

 machinery as is needed, if some kind of suitable power 

 may be had. Our little machine cost us, all told, something 

 less than $12 for material, the work being done at home by 

 the master himself. Any good carpenter, however, could 

 put up one equally as good in a couple or three days, so 

 that cost of building need hardly be considered. Up till 

 last summer it was run with a light horse-power, but is 

 now attached to a little gasoline engine, used for pumping 

 Wat -!n r and ot,ler li &' lt work. With one operator from 20 

 to 30 complete hives may be cut in a day. With an assis- 

 tant the number may be easily doubled. We have never 

 done a whole day's cutting at any one time, but I am sure 

 1 have not over-estimated its capacity. Hoffman frames 

 either square or beveled; hive rabbets, even hand-holes' 

 are neatly and rapidly cut out. It does not, of course, cut 

 a dove-tailed corner, but instead we make what we con- 

 sider just as good, which is a halved corner. 



Besides cutting hives, we use this machine for many 

 other kinds of particular work— window and door frames", 

 anything, in fact, which ordinarily requires the use of the 

 miter-box, is cut out here. It is really surprising how 

 often, and for what a variety oT work, it is used. Start 

 the engine, throw on the belt, and it is ready at a moment's 

 notice. 



We are often asked what our home-made hives cost 

 us. We do not use a standard hive ourselves (which is one 

 more argument in favor of the machine, since special- 

 sized factory-made hives always cost extra), but we fre- 

 quently make it for others. Estimating 15 feet of $40 lum- 

 ber to the 8-frame. IK'-story hive, I find, including labor 

 they cost about 65 cents each. This is an over-estimate' 

 if anything as it takes hardly IS feet of lumber and some 

 parts may be made of narrower and less expensive ma- 

 terial. 



But hives, while tTie most important, are not all the 

 bee-keeper must have. Comb foundation is another im- 

 portant item. No up-to-date bee-keeper would consider 

 it economy to do without a generous amount of founda- 

 tion, even if it cost much more than it does. But while it 

 would still pay to use it at a considerable advance over 

 present prices, this does not mean that we should pav 

 more for it than is absolutely necessary. All of us produce 

 niore or less wax. Could not something be saved by send- 

 ing it to some reliable manufacturer to be made int.. 

 foundation for our own use? I am offered 28 cents for 

 clean wax. Cannot I have this made up for less than the 

 difference between the price of the wax and the cost of 

 foundation? 1 think I can. Any way, I am going to try 



There are, however, various other- things which we 

 must have and which we cannot make ourselves, or hire 



made nr own material. Sections are perhaps the most 



expensive of these, and about which we hear the most I 



complaint. Like hives, they should be bought in quantity, 

 at least as many as can be used and disposed of in any one' 

 season. Even if a few are left over, if properly cared for 

 they will be just as good another year. 



But while I would advise buying as cheaply as possi- 

 ble, I would not advise using a poorer quality or restricting 

 the quantity. It is no economy to use rough, discolored 

 sections and take less for our honey on account of them. 

 Nor is it economy ever to buy or use a cheap article be- 

 cause it is cheap, or to do without a needed article to save 

 its cost. We should not hesitate to buy what is needed, 

 and, as a rule, the best is the cheapest. True economy, to 

 my mind, lies in buying wisely rather than cheaply, al- 

 though as cheaply, certainly, as is consistent with quality. 

 But, as said before, it is no economy to do without 

 what is needful. For instance, to get along forever with- 

 out a change of stock. A few queens each season are ordi- 

 narily an economical investment, since it is only in this 

 way that vitality and vigor of stock can be kept up to the 

 highest standard. I know Dr. Phillips says improvement 

 can be best brought about by in-breeding, but not promis- 

 cuous in-breeding, such as necessarily happens in the ordi- 

 nary apiary. There is no practice more disastrous in its 

 results that this, let it be where it will. A single requeened 

 colony will often produce enough more honey to pay for 

 two or three queens, while the value of one new queen's 

 influence in the yard is beyond estimation. 



Economy of time and labor come next. Both have a 

 considerable money value, especially on the farm where 

 hard-to-get and high-priced help must be employed to do 

 that which the master cannot get to do himself. As a 

 rule, to save labor is to save time, and therefore money, 

 which means to increase profits. 



But even when to save labor is not to save time, it is 

 still worth while to spare one's self as much as possible. 

 We are not likely ever to suffer for exercise, and it is 

 something to escape exhaustion whenever we may. Me- 

 chanical power is always cheaper than physical, and should 

 be employed when available. Here is where our little 

 engine comes in handy again. The engine-room is tight 

 and well built, so we do our extracting here. It is also 

 large and commodious, and adjoining the original honey- 

 house, so it is convenient to use in this way. We have 

 always before run the extractor by hand, and many a time 

 with a tired arm, but this is now a thing of the past. By 

 the way, both cream-separator and washing machine will 

 also be operated in this way during the major portion of 

 the year, thus saving a considerable amount of other hard 

 work. This plant cost us quite a neat little sum, but as we 

 look at it. it is a good investment. 



Convenience is always economy, so everything need- 

 ful to do the work expeditiously and well should be pro- 

 vided. Anything which will save labor and time to a 

 greater value than its cost is an economical investment. 

 In this list may be included numerous small articles and 

 many large ones. Foundation cutters and fasteners, tanks 

 with faucets, strainers, and all such, are worth much more 

 to the bee-keeper than they cost him. An efficient smoker, 

 good veil and gloves, and several other things, might also 

 be mentioned. 



Along this same line I would say that any machine or 

 other labor-saving device which will do the work required 

 of it enough better or faster to save in labor or time the 

 difference in cost between that and another, is the cheaper 

 in the end. Xo bee-keeper of any consequence ever made 

 a greater mistake than to buy a one or two frame ex- 

 tractor. It is like a 50-egg incubator — little more than an 

 aggravation to the soul. A large machine will do a little 

 work just as well as a little machine, and whenever more 

 is required it is not found wanting. 



It is also economy of labor and time to keep every- 

 thing in and about the honey-house and apiary in readi- 

 ness and in good condition. Time, for instance, occa- 

 sionally to sharpen the uncapping knife — but being a 

 woman. I have to own to sometimes using mine dull. 

 Still a little spice, judiciously administered, usually results 

 in a speedy improvement. 



Attention, we are told, is the cheapest element in the 

 apiary. To do a thing when it should be done takes no 

 longer than to do it out of season, and may mean the dif- 

 ference between profit and great loss. It is not economy 

 often to put off a thing beyond the time when it should be 

 done to save the cost of a little help. There has lately 

 been quite a discussion in one of our most prominent bee- 

 papers along this same line. One man claimed to have 

 lost 50 colonies because he could not find time to give 

 them needed attention at the proper season. A few dollars 



