366 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



something like the thing." If your Novice ex- 

 tractor breaks too many combs, just buy a new 

 Cowan: and, ray word for it, you will be happy. 

 J. F. McIntyre. 

 Fillmore. Cal., March 5, 1891. 



[We are glad the artist caught you when you 

 didn't know it. Your pose is more natural and 

 easy. We notice you are using the Bingham 

 smoker. You needn't tell our customers, but 

 somehow, when the bees are cross, our boys 

 have a preference for the Bingham. We have 

 no doubt but that a wet brush irritates less 

 than a dry one. Say. did you ever try the Cogg- 

 shall brush for the purpose?— In regard to the 

 Cowan extractor, you are about right in your 

 estimate of it. See what Frank McNay says 

 of it below.] "*. 



THE COWAN REVEESIBLE HONEY- 

 EXTRACTOR. 



STRONG TESTIMONY IN ITS FAVOR FROM ONE 



OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE EXTRACTED 



PRODUCERS IN THE WORLD. 



I received the new Cowan reversible extract- 

 or about a week ago; and although I was con- 

 vinced as soon as I examined it that it is prac- 

 tically all right, yet I decided to wait and try 

 it befoi-e reporting. I can now say, that, in 

 regard to convenience, it is all that can be de- 

 sired; and although the combs may be reversed 

 without stopping, yet I would not advise this for 

 general practice, for I find that the gearing is 

 so strong that it can be stopped and started in- 

 stantly, and can really be done quicker than 

 on the slowing-up plan. I remember using 

 some very emphatic words to you last winter 

 in regard to the necessity of greater strength 

 in extractors, and I am now convinced that you 

 heard, even if you were a little deaf at the 

 time; for after carefully examining and trying 

 the Cowan extractor, I have failed to find a 

 weak part, and I do not hesitate to say that it 

 is the best extractor made, both in regard to 

 convenience and durability, and I shall replace 

 all of my five machines with the Cowan as soon 

 as possible. Frank McNay. 



Mauston, Wis., May (3, 1893. 



[Before introducing the Cowan to the public 

 we talked and corresponded with some of the 

 largest and most practical bee-keepers in the 

 world, friend McNay among the number. We 

 were thus posted as "to all the desirable points 

 in an extractor, and with this knowledge in 

 possession we set the best talent of the Home of 

 the Honey-bees at work constructing the ma- 

 chine, and as now constructed we have reason 

 to think it will ph-ase all, as it has friend 

 McNay. In strength of material it surpasses 

 every thing we ever turned out before in the 

 way of an extractor.] 



A WHEELBARROW FOR CARRYING HIVES. 



HOW TO MAKE IT. 



I inclose a sketch of a hive-carrier that I 

 made and have had in use for two years with 

 perfect success. The expense is almost nothing, 

 and can be made in two hours. The wheel is 

 one taken from an old garden-drill. It is eigh- 

 teen inches high. The springs running back 

 from it are mortised through the end-bars of 

 the frame, and are made out of one leaf of a 

 Champion spring, and bolted at each mortise. 

 The frame and handles are made of 2x2-inch 

 oak, and the sides are mortised on to the ends. 

 The handles are fastened to the frame by strap 



hinges so that thay can be swung out in grasp- 

 ing the hive, as brought down over the top. 

 The lifting-springs are made of the same as the 

 ones going to the wheel. They should be about 

 9 inches long; but for a slio 1 man a I'ttle 

 shorter, so that the front of the hive will not 

 touch the ground in wheeling. These springs 

 should be screwed to the handles about one inch 

 back of the middle of the hive, so that the hive 

 will tilt forward and be steadied against the 

 end-bar of the carrier when the arms are swung 

 in. The springs should also be sprung inward 

 about 2 inches so they will press tightly against 

 the bottom when the handles are brought up 

 against the hive. 



KNIGHT S HIVE WHEELBARROW. 



The length of the frame should be eighteen 

 inches, and the inside measurement between the 

 handles the width of the hive, with about an 

 inch to spare, so as not to rub the paint off the 

 hive. 



With this carrier you can pick a hive off from 

 a stand or from the ground, run into or out of a 

 cellar, and setitdownon astand properly, as you 

 can see three sides of your hive while running, 

 and the swinging handles do not bother in run- 

 ning. When empty, the hinges should be on 

 the outside, so that, when the handles are 

 straight, they will be perfectly stiff. 



Detroit, Mich. Bruce Knight. 



CELLAR WINTERING. 



why I CARRY MY BEES OUT OF THE CELLAR 

 EARLIER THAN MOST FOLKS DO. 



In the first place we will see a little about the 

 way they are in the cellar. We have all of our 

 brood hives with fast bottoms, but they can be 

 made loose by taking out two screws. Our 

 entrances are" so that they go clear across the 

 hive, but can be closed, or partly closed, in one 

 second. When we carry our bees into the cellar 

 (about Nov. 1.5 to 20) we elosi- our hives, set two 

 or three hives on a carrier, and, with one man 

 ahead and one behind, walk into the cellar with 

 our load. We have a platform in the cellar 8 

 inches high, and as wide as the hives are long. 

 The platform being level, we place a 2x2 joist 

 on the back edge of the platform. We now 

 take the hives from our carrier, and set one row 

 on the platform, the whole length, with the 

 back end of the hives resting on the 2x2 joist, 

 so the hives will all stand pitching forward. 

 This will greatly aid the bees in keeping the 

 bottom-boards clean, which they will generally 

 do. If a few fail, then we help them clear 

 the entrance with a wire hook. When the 

 first row is placed all right, we either have 

 boards sawed l,Vo inches longer than the hives 

 are high, placed between the hives, then set up 

 endwise so we can put a board on them for a 

 shelf for another row of hives to sit on, or we 

 sometimes just place a piece of joist the length 

 of our hive on the top of three hives, say on 

 each end hive, and the middle hive in the I'ow, 

 and lay the board shelf on them, and so on 

 until we have four tiers high. 



We have our bees in the cellar so we can 

 walk in the alleys and get to the front of each 

 hive and look after them as we think they need 



