648 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



ten, boil over, and waste, the best wax would 

 be in the first pan. Sometimes a third pan is 

 used; and when the residue is dry I scrape it 

 from the sieve into a paper, roll it up, and 

 keep it for kindling the fire. I never let 

 bits of^ comb and scrapings accumulate; but 

 when there is a convenient time, I melt them 

 up. 



When I remelt those cakes taken from the 

 pans of water I put them into a pan placed 

 over a kettle of boiling water, and, when 

 melted, strain through cheese-cloth tied over 

 a fn.iit-can that has had both ends removed. 

 Set this in a basin, pour through, and have 

 the cakes of one size. I sell three pounds for 

 a dollar to those who sew carpets, manufac- 

 ture overalls, etc. 



Peoria, 111. 



[Mrs. H., you have given us an idea that is 

 at least new to myself — ihat is, using the resi- 

 due, after the wax is extracted, for fire-kin- 

 dlers. We have barrels of it from our wax- 

 room ; and after we get all the wax we can by 

 using steam we put it into the sun wax-ex- 

 tractor. After the sun has done its best we 

 have been in the habit of putting the refuse 

 under the boilers, to make steam. But if 

 made into little balls, handy to put into the 

 stove, I think it might be splendid for fire- 

 kindlers.— A. I. R.] 



PRIES, SCRAPERS, AXD DRAWN FOUNDATION. 



BY J. W. SOUTHWOOD. 



While the subject of pries and scrapers is 

 before the minds of the readers of Gleanings 

 I will give a description of the kind I have 

 been using for several years, and which I like 

 quite well— better than any others I have ever 

 seen. The pry is made of a steel rod 14 in. 

 long and ^ in. thick. It is flattened till it is 

 >4 in. thick and >^ wide. One end is made 

 wedge-shaped, and is % in. wide at the end. 

 The other end is also made wedge-shaped, and 

 is only ^ in. wide, and rounded at the end as 

 shown in illustration. I find this one of the 

 handiest tools I use in the apiary. 



t=^ 



; / 



My scraper is made of the same kind of rod, 

 and of the same length and thickness, and 

 left round, except the ends, which are both 

 flattened wedge shape, the same as the pry, 

 except that the wide end is shouldered as at 

 B. It is "s wide ; but as we now use brood- 

 frames an inch or a little more, I think 1 inch 

 or 1>^ would be better. The other end is 

 made % in. wide, and ground on the edges so 

 as to leave sharp right-angled corners. Each 

 end is then bent in shape like a hoe, and kept 

 sharp by filing as a plane-bit is ground. If 

 given the proper slope it will scrape propolis 

 as a plane dresses a plank. The narrow end 



is just right for cleaning the tin rabbets on 

 which the brood-frames are hung. The sharp 

 edges clean the sides of rabbets. 



I will not attempt to give the uses of these 

 tools, but will say the apiarist who has them 

 will soon find much use for them. 



The drawn foundation you so kindlj' sent 

 me arrived a little smashed I will give it a 

 test, and report. I did not get the sample last 

 season in time to give it a trial, so I am now 

 testing it. Without waiting to test the sam- 

 ple just received I will say I am quite pleased 

 with it. If the two objections I offered against 

 the last season's sample — namely, flat base 

 and too high cell-walls — have been removed it 

 will be better. I have never thought enough 

 of flat-base foundation to give it a trial. I am 

 quite sure we want a natural base, and I think 

 all we want in the height of cell-walls is just 

 enough so the bees will readil}' accept it. Of 

 course, I mean when conditions are all favor- 

 able. I think !s or f'g is all that is nectssary 

 to accomplish this. 



I think we should all feel grateful toward 

 you and Mr. Weed for j'our great effort, ardu- 

 ous work, and financial expenditure in accom- 

 plishing that which I confidently believe you 

 view as one of mutual benefit. 



Monument City, Ind. 



RAMBLE NO. 151. 



How to Use a "Jouncer." 



BY RAMBLER. 



While the State Bee-keepers' Association 

 was in session in Los Angeles in January the 

 members expressed real pleasure in meeting 

 Mr. Thos. \Vm. Cowan, editor of the Britis/i 

 Bee Jour7ial, and the Rambler tried to be just 

 as sensible as the rest in that respect. Mr. 

 Cowan sojourned several days in the city; 

 and soon after the meeting adjourned, he, Mr. 

 C. A. Hatch, Mr. M. H. Mendleson, and the 

 Rambler enjoyed a day's ride along the hills 

 that border the Cahuenga Valley and out 

 toward the ocean. A plentiful supply of wa- 

 ter has been developed in these hills, and is 

 used largely in the development of market- 

 gardens. Scores of Chinamen are seen labor- 

 ing, and the succulent vegetables find a ready 

 market in the city. 



Along these hills we have one of those re- 

 markable California features, the frostless belt. 

 While in the city near by, or in the lowlands 

 before us, there are killing frosts, here is a 

 belt close to the hills where tomatoes and oth- 

 er tender garden vegetables can be grown the 

 year round. 



After riding through this beautiful garden 

 country we pass through the extensive gar- 

 dens, pass the residence, and enter the can- 

 yon owned b}' Mr. Durfee. At the extreme 

 upper end of the canyon we find the Ram- 

 bler's apiary. This apiary is only an embryo 

 of what is anticipated; but instead of telling 

 what is proposed I will explain some old and 

 new features while the rest of my companions 

 are having their lunch and a bee-keepers' pic- 

 nic in the shade of an oak-tree, and near one 



