938 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



ler, Prof. Cook, and C. F. Muth, intimate 

 that the hives might go iinpainted ; but 

 even they advocate the use of a protection, 

 for the sake of looks, even if for nothing 

 more. It is no doubt true, that the darker 

 shades last better. The chief objections 

 against them, and a serious one too, is tliat 

 tliey absorb more light, and consequently 

 more heat. 



Question. 93.-78 ther-e any fensihU plait of extract- 

 ing honey m a small way (without mutilating the 

 combs), say from three or four eolonies, without going 

 to the expense of purchasing a)i extractor^ 



I think not. 



I know of none. 



I doubt it much. 



I don't know of anj-. 



Not that I know of. 



Borrow one, or make one. 



I don't know of any. 



L. C. Root. 



Mrs. L. Harrison. 



C. C. Miller. 



P. H. Elwooi). 



Chas. F. Muth. 



E. France. 



H. K. BOAKDMAN. 



Yes; borrow one, as my neighbors do. 



Geo. Grimm. 

 Not that I know of; but it will pay to own a 

 cheap extractor for that many hives. 



O. O. POPPLETON. 



A proper-sized barrel, with a comb-basket ar- 

 ranged inside, and without gearing-, answers a very 

 good purpose. Dr. A. B. Mason. 



I do not know of any way. Of course, tliere are 

 cheap extractors made for a single comb. Our Eng- 

 lish neighbors use them. R. Wilkin. 



Extractors are so cheap now that 1 would have 

 one, even if I had only two colonies. There are no 

 other ways that 1 know of. Paul L. Viallon. 



I know of none. Mr. Hill, of Kendallville, In- 

 diana, makes a very cheap extractor that would an- 

 swer well. It is made of gas-pipe. A. J. Cook. 



Why not buy an extractor!' The crop of one hive 

 will pay for it in one season. It is a mistake to 

 neglect buying so cheap a machine. You might as 

 well try to cultivate your garden without a spade. 



Dadant «& Son. 



Not that I know of. When you figure the cost of 

 a cheap extractor, considering the interest, and 

 wear and tear of the machine, you will see that it 

 pays to have a honey-extractor, if you are going to 

 raise honey in that form, even from no more than 

 three or four colonies. J as. Heddon. 



Extractors are so cheap now, that I should say it 

 would be preferable to buy one, rather than spend 

 the time necessary to fuss with something that 

 would not do the work one-half as well. People 

 frequently spend more time in trying to save ex- 

 pense than would be needed to buy the thing re- 

 quired, if only one-third price were paid them for 

 the time consumed. G. M. Doolittle. 



I supijose this chap wants to extract a little hon- 

 ey for his own eating. Let him take a double- 

 sized sheet of tin, and bend it slightly in the shape 

 of an open book— pro|) it u|i properly aslant, with a 

 bowl set under the gutter. Watch the bees closely; 

 and whenever they get a run of honey, go for it im- 

 mediately; if you let the honey get thick once, I 

 shall have to give you up as an incurable case. In 

 throwing out the honey, hold the frame over the 

 tin, not horizontal, hut somewhat edgewise; then 



with a quick jerk, which you will learn by practice, 

 thin nectar can be got out quite easily. Last spring 

 I took some apple-blossom honey so, rather than 

 take the trouble to wash the extractor. By the 

 way, apple-blossom honey in the nectar state is 

 much better than it Is when ripe, and hasswood is 

 fully as good. Of course, I do not advise keeping 

 unripe nectar. E. E. Hasty. 



It can be done; but never having tried it, except 

 experimentally, I can not say whether or not it 

 would be profitable, even on so small a scale. 



There are numerous bee-keepers, no doubt, who 

 do not feel justified in purchasing an extractor, and 

 yet would be glad to extract a comb or two of hon- 

 ey occasionally, without injuring said combs. 



When Question 9.S came under my consideration, 

 I had never tried such a thing, but I decided at 

 once that it could be done. Dropping my pen, I 

 walked out into the honey-house. Taking a comb 

 of honey, I uncapjied part of it, put it into the cen- 

 ter of a oomb-bucket, and wedged empty frames 

 (not combs) on each side. There was my extractor. 

 Going out of doors, so as to have "full sweep," I 

 grasped a handle in each hand, as low down as possi- 

 ble, held the bucket out at arm's length, and turned 

 swiftly on my heels. Eureka! There was the honey 

 on the side of the can. After one or two trials, 

 though, I decided that making a spinning-top, or, 

 more correctly, the spindle of an extractor, was 

 more confusing than pleasant. I then took a light 

 rope, tied one end to each handle of the comb-buck- 

 et, and threw the middle over the limb of a tree, 

 about ten feet from the ground— higher would 

 have been better— and drew it up until there was 

 room to crouch underneath. Bringing the rope 

 around the ends of the comb bucket so as to keep it 

 perpendicular, I began to swing it around in a cir- 

 cle by the ropes below, taking care that the side of 

 the bucket was kept outward. The result, while 

 perhaps not equal to the work of a first-class ex- 

 tractor, was at least satisfactory ; and with practice, 

 no doubt just as good results could be secured. 

 This is not meant to be more than suggestive. Any 

 one who is sufficiently in need of such an e.vtractor 

 can easily mark out the details. I will give you a 

 hint or two more, though. Make a bo.x of tin, or of 

 wood well waxed, to hold one comb. Tack a piece 

 of tinned wire cloth on each inside, leaving just 

 room to slip the comb down between. Hang the 

 box to the ropes by hooks or snaps, so as to be easily 

 detached. There must be a rope at each end, in or- 

 der to keep the outside tangent to the circle. 



With care you ought to be successful. If you are 

 not, you will at least have the fun of trying, and 

 that with less trouble than I had in my first at- 

 tempt to make an extractor. James A. Green. 



With one or two possible exceptions, the 

 responses to Question 93 agree that there is 

 no feasible plan of extracting honey in a 

 small way from three or four colonies, with- 

 out purchasing a machine. It also seems to 

 be pretty well agreed, that an extractor is 

 an actual necessity in an apiary, be it large 

 or small. As Doolittle says, we often waste 

 more time and money in trying to get up an 

 inferior home-made contrivance than a 

 first-class implement made for the purpose 

 would cost. Hasty's and Green's extempor- 

 ized extractors lire novel, but, after all, 

 there isn't very much fun nor money in 'em. 



