716 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



RAMBLE 176. 

 Some of Rambler's New Inventions. 



BY RAMBLER. 



The various devices illustrated and describ- 

 ed in the last Ramble all look fairly well con- 

 structed, and some effort was made with plane 

 and paint to make them so ; but the leading 

 device presented to you this time will not fall 

 under that rule, for it is a rough-and-ready 

 affair. As the illustration indicates, it is a 

 bee-hive balance. When Mr. McNay, of Wis- 

 consin, and I were perambulating around the 

 country we were talking about the sudden 

 yields of honey that sometimes favored the 

 bee-keeper, and how handy it is to have a 

 colony placed upon scales in order to tell just 

 how many pounds the colony was gaining or 

 losing each day. My Wisconsin friend said 

 he had a colony on scales all through the 

 honey season, and a glance at it showed 

 whether the conditions were encouraging or 

 discouraging. The conditions have always 

 been so encouraging in his apiaries that he 

 could afford to pay a good price for proper 

 scales. But, alas ! no California bee-keeper 

 can indulge in such a luxury these hard times. 

 I did not wish, however, to be behind any 

 Wisconsin man in regard to scales, and began 

 10 devise ways and means to make a balance 

 :hat any poor California bee-keeper can make 

 at light expense, and one that would attract 

 :he attention of all beholders, and thereby 

 enable us, in spite of hard seasons, to keep up 

 with and be a little ahead of the times. 



A mountain fire had spent its fury in a little 

 canyon near my apiary, and left quite a num- 



ber of young sycamore- trees dry and bare, 

 and from these I made the framework of my 

 balance. There is no use for me to enter into 

 details of construction, for the photo faithfully 

 represents every part, and any one handy with 

 saw and ax can readily make one. 



When in use a hive of bees is placed upon 

 the swinging platform as shown. Now balance 

 the colony or take off the tare by placing 

 stones in the box at the far end. Put in 

 enough stones to a little more than balance, 

 and elevate the hive to the highest point. 

 Now hook on a spring balance and adjust 

 aright, and every pound of honey gained will 

 be shown. If in doubt about the season, it is 

 well to adjust the balance so that the hive will 

 weigh six or eight pounds ; then the balance 

 will show loss or gain. This whole affair cost 

 me just ten cents, the price of the spring bal- 

 ance, which was purchased at a ten-cent store. 

 If the constructor wishes to be a little more 

 extravagant, a 25 or even a 50 cent balance 

 can be used. Then I spent half a day in the 

 construction of it ; and, as the name signifies, 

 it is rough and ready. It is not so accurate as 

 a five-dollar scale, but it is sufficiently so to 

 show the half-pounds ; and, accordingly, to 

 judge of the conditions of the apiary it will 

 answer the purpose very well until we get as 

 rich as those Wisconsin fellows and are able 

 to invest in store scales. As the platforms of 

 this scale have more or less swing to them it 

 is well to drive stakes around them as shown, 

 to prevent any accidents, especially in a breezy 

 location. 



This balance has been doing duty for several 

 weeks, and faithfully gives a fellow the blues 

 by recording a loss instead of a gain. The 



RAMBLER S IMPROVISED SCALE. 



