156 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



MAH. 



notice that I begin at one corner of the frame to 

 wire the nail loops, and do not stop till I reach the 

 opposite corner. I have no trouble to wire thus 

 right from the spool; but the better way, perhaps, 

 is to cut the wires first the proper length needed. 

 You will also see that the loops are bent in pairs, in 

 opposite directions, so as to guard against the possi- 

 bility of the wires slipping or getting off. You will 

 find it pretty difficult to slip the wires off the loops, 

 as arranged; but turn them half way round, the 

 right way, and then you can slip them off quite read- 

 ily; but the other way will tighten them. I find that 

 I can wire the frames with less trouble, and more 

 rapidly by this plan, than through holes in the wood. 

 This plan gets rid of all 7a?i7fs in wiring; and if the 

 wire breaks nf aiiypoiJit it can be readily repaired 

 without a particle of additional wire, which is not 

 the case when wired through holes in the wood. The 

 wire nails for the wires rnay be, and perhaps should 

 be, driven, and the loops made, while the frame it- 

 self is being nailed, and before it has been taken 

 from the form. I suggest this to save extra hand- 

 ling of the frames. I prefer to nail my frames, 

 when reversible, with eight one-Inch wire nails with 

 Hat heads, using two nails at each corner. 



The frame sent you, as you will be sure to sec, is 

 provided with my single-wire reversible devices (not 

 patented), which enable me or you or any one to re- 

 verse the same at it'i'H, and without the loss of any 

 time worth mentioning. I have attached to this 

 frame two plans of making the reversible device. 

 One of the plans requires considerable accuracy, 

 when wanted for frames of special depth, outside 

 measure. The other plan, as you will see, does not 

 require so great accuracy, and may be used for 

 frames of a?*?/ depth. Some might prefer one plan, 

 and some the other. Either plan has advantages 

 over the other. The wire loop, or projection, for 

 resting on the rabbets (and these may be wood or 

 metal, as desired), needs be only as long as the 

 width (7» in.) of the top or bottom piece of the frame; 

 or it may be long enough, as per samples, to space 

 the frames at top or bottom or both, the right dis- 

 tance apart, which should be, in my judgment, about 

 1% in. fr.im center to center of frame. But the 

 loops may be made of any size and shape to suit 

 one's wishes. If made as per samples, they can not 

 cut one's fingers in handling the frames, and, as be- 

 fore stated, may be used with or without metal rab- 

 bets. This reversible device dispenses (as it can not 

 be used) with your projecting "metal corners" for 

 frames, but not necessarily with the style you use 

 for the bottom corners of the frames, for these you 

 can still use at all of the corners; but it seems to me 

 that it would be just as well to dispense with them 

 and their cost all together, and use the reversible 

 device instead. The cost of making all frames re- 

 versible, whether in new hives or in those already in 

 use, by the adoption of this reversible device, need 

 be but a trifle more, and perhaps no more, than it 

 costs now to supply new frames with your "metal 

 corners." I have used in the samples sent you. No. 

 13 coppered wire, but would prefer galvanized wire, 

 to guard against rust. Please notice, also, that one 

 of the plans lifts the entire frame and contents 

 from the bottom, and this does away with ail danger 

 of nulling the frames apart, as in the past, and that ] 

 the other plan simply lifts the entire weight from 

 the blind-staples. 



For those who prefer to adhere to wide frames, 

 supplied with sections for surplus honey, this re- 



versible device when attached to them will be found 

 of considerable value. From what I have seen in 

 the apiary, I am fully persuaded that it will be high- 

 ly advantageous to reverse the surplus honey as 

 soon, at least, as a portion of it is sealed. This will 



j not only hasten the sealing of the lower and un- 



, capped cells, but will also secure as well-built combs 



! at the bottoms as at the tops of the sections. 



I But, the above must suffice for the present. I am 

 content to let the future demonstrate how much of 



j the foregoing is mere theory or otherwise. 



j M. M. Baldridge. 



! St. Charles, 111., Jan. 23, 1884. 



I Friend B., your invention is very ingen- 

 ious indeed, and it seems to me it must an- 

 swer the purpose beautifully, but I should 

 want to make a test of it in handling bees, 

 before deciding whether I liked It or not. I 



' do not believe I should like frames without 



I diagonal wires, but possibly the smaller size 

 of your frame might do very well. Oxxv 

 friends will notice in tlie engraving, that we 



I make the wire loop square where it strikes 



j back against the rabbet. I would have the 

 wire bent so as to liave this a sharp corner— 

 Ihat is, making the loop three-cornered. 

 This would prevent the arm from killing 



i bees so much, and it would also avoid pro- 

 polis, with which they will glue it to the rab- 

 bet. I suppose the device will reverse, even 

 when covered with gum and propolis ; 

 at least, I am satisfied it can be re- 

 versed without much trouble. Our engrav- 

 er has made the width of the support C 

 about the same as the width of the top-bar ; 

 but of course it could be made as you sug- 

 gest, wide enough so that they touch each 



! other, and thus support the frames. There 

 would be one advantage in this : It would 

 get a broader bearing, and thus more effect- 



: ually cause the frames to hang plumb up 

 and down. I will explain to our readers, 

 that the modification of the device consists 

 in cutting off the wire at the lower staple D, 

 and bending it at right angles. J3y moving 

 this staple I), we can raise the frame just as 

 high from the bottom-boards as we choose. 

 Wire can be purchased now quite cheaply, 

 in straight pieces of an exact length, and all 

 that remains is to make a machine that will 

 turn accurately the piece C in the manner 

 given above. I) 1) are ordinary blind staples. 

 We have now tinned wire, No. 80 and 

 36, on spools at oc per spool, or 28c for 10 

 spools. Each spool contains about f ounce. 

 Postage, 2c per spool. And now while we 

 are on the subject of reversible frames, here 

 is another device from another friend, 1 

 liave had our engravers adapt it to the frame 

 described above. The device will be readily 

 understood, almost without explanation : 



HOWES' REVERSIBLE FRAME. 



The utility of reversible frames is no longer a 



