THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



135 



removed from tlie cells with a very low 

 motion of the extractor. 



I think those that lose brood by the 

 use of the extractor either turn too ptxt, 

 or their extractor does not stand solid an(i 

 consequently sAaA^s and jV;r8 the brood and 

 dislocates it. But 1 think it is more like- 

 ly that the brood Is dislocated by shaking 

 or jerking the bees off the combs, and the 

 operator not thinking that he is handling 

 the combs much rougher to get the bees 

 otf than the extractor does to take the 

 lioney \'rom the cells; and if he finds any 

 dead larviu in the cells he wrongfully 

 blames the extractor for it. 



I have ui}"^ screens lean back from the 

 centre, which bring the cells more to a 

 level, and the honey is easier thrown out, 

 and the brood being nearer the centre, 

 there is not so much force on it. 



Ionia Co., Mich. S. K. Marsh. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 My Comb Foundation. 



Four years since I wrote a friend in 

 Europe to send me the apparatus, in use 

 there, to make comb foundation. He 

 sent me two plates (made of type metal) 

 weighing 26 pounds, but being so busy 

 with my farm I did not use them until 

 last August; and this was how I did it: 



I melted good clean wax in a can 15x11 

 inches, and 3J^ inches wide, to accommo- 

 date the size of my frames. 



Take a pane of window glass 10x14 

 inches, moisten it with a strong solution 

 of salt water (made with table salt), dip 

 the glass into the melted wax (of 140 to 

 150 deg. Fahr.) hold it free, so long as the 

 wax is soft, then put the waxed glass into 

 fresh water, and then you can take off the 

 glass two sheets of thin wax, to be pressed 

 in the apparatus for making artificial 

 comb foundation, in a common cider 

 press. Prepare a stand and cover for the 

 metal plates. 



I filled the wax can with warm water (110 

 deg.) and dipped the wax sheets prepara- 

 tory to pressing, to make them soft enough 

 to receive the configurations. The inside 

 of the metal plates I moistened with a 

 solution of sal soda, to prevent the sheets 

 from sticking, by the hard pressing neces- 

 sary. After getting off the comb founda- 

 tion from the plates, I put it in fresh water 

 to wash ofi"the soda. 



I used this artificial comb foundation 

 for worker cells, and it was very valuable 

 to me in making artificial colonies. My 

 frames are 11x12, and the comb foundation 

 8x12; these I placed between finished 

 combs. The bees readily work out the 

 cells; it is pleasant to see them work on it. 



The best temperature for preparing the 

 sheets is 90 deg. Sal soda, (washing soda) 

 not cooking soda, must be used on the 

 plates. Henry Bosshard. 



Highland, 111. 



For tlie American Bee Journal. 

 Bee Smoker. 



Mr. Editor: Fearing there may still be 

 found a few who are deterred from keep- 

 ing bees from fear of stings, allow me 

 to describe a smokc-r easily manufactured 

 by any one with a little injrenuity. It is 

 a modification of the Qiiinby, and though 

 ((uite as eflectual, may be made at a tri- 

 fling cost. To a two-ounce tin box, solder 

 on one side near the bottom a small tube 

 four or five inches long, leading to the in- 

 side, opposite this in the bottom of box 

 punch one-half inch hole and cover with 

 perfoiated tin or fine wire cloth. This 

 box should be attached by small wrought 

 iron nails or screws to a small pair of bel- 

 lows made of one fourth of an inch board 

 and covered with sheepskin, having a 

 hole about three and a half inches from 

 point to correspond with hole in bottom 

 of box. Our own instruments are five 

 inches wide by eight inches long, with 

 spring holding them open attached to the 

 inside, so that they can be worked with 

 one hand. When wanted for use, the box 

 may be filled with a little roll of cotton 

 batting, dry decayed wood or other mate- 

 rial. Dr. D. R. Porter. 



Long Island, New York. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Spring Management. 



Now Spring is at hand, and bee-keepers 

 have their bees out of their winter quar- 

 ters, the next thing in order is to breed 

 them up and prevent them dwindling 

 away during the cold spring months. To 

 secure this, we must see that they are 

 kept warm, and have proper stores and 

 combs. 



To keep them warm, the hive must be 

 tight, and the entrance contracted until it 

 is very small ; have a good quilt and some 

 papers over the top of the frames, and 

 take away all combs, if there is more than 

 they can cover; leaving them the best 

 worker brood-combs with honey stored 

 in the top of them ; make passages through 

 them about four inches from the top, and 

 place them in the front end of the hive, 

 and one comh full of honey behind them, 

 and contract the size of the hive accord- 

 ing to the number of combs left in it. 

 This can be done in different ways, either 

 by using papers or by tucking the back 

 end of the quilt down behind the combs. 

 Whatever is used, it must be dosefiiti/ig, 

 to keep out the cold and retain the heat 

 and prevent any bees getting behind it and 

 chilling. 



Some bee-keepers recommend a board 

 for a partition, but I think either of the 

 others is better, as they can always be 

 fitted to the hive; when in case a hive 

 is stuck up with propolis, it would inter- 

 fere with the board. The object of con- 



