GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15. 



does not use sections without any bee-space 

 whatever. I do not exactly know, unless he 

 thought that leavin.i; the /g space in the sec- 

 tion on one side would allow the sections to 

 crate together better. However that may be, 

 I think the difficulty is entirely obviated by 

 using the thin veneer stuff between the ssc- 

 tions. As I will presently show, by a certain 

 adjustment in the thickness of cleats on the 

 separators, we can make the faces of the 

 combs as near the edges of the sections as we 

 like. If we make the cleats full % inch, then 

 the faces of the combs would be just even 

 with the edge of the sides and tops of the 

 sections ; but if we make them ,-\, or scant 

 that much, then the surface of the comb will 

 retreat from the straight edge across the sides 

 of the sections ^.t inch. If we make the cleats 

 only yk inch thick, then the surface of the 

 comb'will retreat back ^i inch from a straight 

 line across the edges of the section. This last 

 thickness, yk, would be the proper thickness 

 of a cleat on the cleated separators ; and to 

 secure the necessary bee-space or opening at 

 the bottom, the separator itself should be just 

 enough narrower than the inside height of the 

 section to make the opening f^ wide. 



NEW-STYLE SECTION ADAPTED TO OLD SUR- 

 PLUS-ARRANGEMENTS. 



Now, about this time I imagine some of you 

 saving, " Look here, E. R. R., are you propos- 

 ing to foist upon the bee-keeping world an 

 entirely new section, thus compelling us to 

 discard our supply of surplus fixtures in the 

 way of T supers and section-holders? " Not 

 at all. If you will take one of your 1%-inch 

 sections and plane off the bee-way as I have 

 described, you will see that you can use them 

 in your hive-crates just as you did yotu- old 

 ones. The T super itself would be very nicely 

 adapted to such a section ; so also would the 

 section-holder arrangement. The cleated sep- 

 arator would take up the spaces formerly 

 occupied bv the bee-ways themselves, so your 

 crates and fixtures will come out just the same 

 as before. 



Now, perhaps another question may arise : 

 "Do you propose to discard 1% sections in 

 your manufacture and substitute in their place 

 the no-bee-wav section?" Not at all. That 

 is to say, we will keep right on making the old- 

 style sections as above, because, no matter how 

 good a thing may be— no matter now much 

 saving it may effect— it would take time, under 

 the most favorable circumstances, to make the 

 change. But all of our readers who appreci- 

 ate the merits of this section, and want to use 

 them another season, can be accommodated. 

 Space will be given in our forthcoming catalog 

 to describe the sections and other changes. 

 Then our customers can have an option. But, 

 of course, the old-style section will be made 

 regular, and all will be supplied as otherwise 

 ordered. 



No doubt some of you will suggest at once 

 that the cleated separator will cost more Yes, 

 a little more ; but in the hive combination it 

 would cost no more, for the reason that, where 

 we make a little increase in one way we make 

 a saving in another. The new-style separator 



we hope to make of lumber that we ordinarily 



burn up, instead of cutting up good timber as 



we now do for the ordinary slotted separator. 



THE CLEATED SEPARATOR AN OLD IDEA. 



I have no engraving yet that shows the 

 cleated separator I have been talking about, 

 but have something pretty nearly like it. And 

 this leads mt- to the idea that the cleated sep- 

 arator is not a new idea by any means. If you 

 will turn to Gleanings for Nov. 1, 1888, you 

 will find what I have been describing is illus- 

 trated and described by Mr. Oliver Foster ; 

 and at the beginning of this article I give the 

 ilhi strati on as it then appeared ; and right 

 here will I give 'some of the good features enu- 

 merated by Mr. Foster. 



L It furnishes free communication from side to side. 



2. It will not bend nor wrinkle as tin does, nor warp 

 and split as ordinary wooden ones do. 



3. It serves as a siipport for the sections (where the 

 bee-space is used), doing away with the necessity for 

 T rests or other supports under or between the' sec- 



■ tions (except at ends of case). 



-1. The lines of propolis resulting from the contact 

 of these supports are thus avoided. 



.5. No trouble with sections catching on the edge of 

 tins, nor with getting in the last sections. 



6. The outside rows of sections can be easily turned 

 to the central part of the case for completion. 



7. The cost, I think, will be less than that of any 

 perforated separator yet offered. 



You will notice, incidentally, that the sep- 

 arator is made up of three pieces. Miles Mor- 

 ton's are made much in the same way, only his 

 cleats are glued on. 



The bees can go back and forth through 

 such separators. This one feature alone is 

 worth all the separator costs, because it per- 

 mits of the combs being filled out fuller, ow- 

 ing to the fact that each individual section is 

 not shut up completely by itself. 



At a later time, in Gle.\nings for March 15, 

 1895, Mr. B. Taylor illustrated and described a 

 similar separator. Mr. Tajdor, in speaking of 

 the advantage of such separator, says : 





TAYLOR' S SEPARATOR. 



This gives perfect sections that weigh a scant pound 

 each when filled. The honey on both sides of the sec- 

 tion comes within Y^. inch of the edge of the section, 

 and is never broken in removing the separator, and 

 the surfaces are ^ inch apart in crating. In crating 

 sections filled between common flat separator.s, the 

 surfaces of the combs are Vo inch apart, and require a 

 larger crate for the .same number of pounds. 



Mr. Miles Morton has been using his ar- 

 rangement for some eight or nine years, and 

 Mr. Danzen baker has been using something 

 similar for about two years. 



Now, then, brethren, the subject is open for 

 discussion. I suppose there will be some crit- 

 icism and some objections to such a section. 

 Let us have them all now. I wish especially 

 we might hear from those who have been us- 

 ing an arrangement similar to this, as to how 

 they like it. "l have not attempted to give all 

 the points /o;- the section. 



