1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



237 



shrink, swell, warp, check, nor rot after it 

 is thoroughly seasoned. I use the ten frame 

 Dovetailed hive, and have to buy boards 18 

 inches wide, as the redwood is all cut to vary 

 two inches in width. I used some for cov- 

 ers during the past summer, and they are 

 on the hives at present on the winter stands, 

 and they are as good as when new. I nail 

 a piece of 34. inch hoop iron across the end 

 with 2-penny fine wire nails nailed about 

 two inches apart on opposite edges (but I 

 think a channel iron as used on your new 

 Danzenbaker nailless cover would be bet- 

 ter), and give them three coats of good 

 paint. L. M. Gilbert. 



Naperville, 111. 



[Yes, I was referring to pine, and in this 

 section the redwood would be even more ex- 

 pensive. But a cover of lumber costing 6 

 cts. per foot is rather expensive. If we had 

 to furnish covers for our trade costing this 

 figure the price on hives would have to be 

 advanced higher still. 



Redwood is a fine timber, and will warp 

 and tw ist as little as avy lumber known. 

 I have seen many such covers in use in Cal- 

 ifornia and Arizona; but let me advise you 

 to cleat your covers at each end. The strap 

 iron, such as you describe, would hardly 

 be rigid enough. — Ed.] 



CAGING QUKENS TO PREVENT SWARMING. 



I intend to cage some of my queens this 

 summer, to prevent swarming. Let me 

 know what sort of cage is needed, if any 

 candy is needed, and how long she must be 

 caged. Do any of the big- honey producers 

 cage their queens? What do you think of 

 it? Subscriber. 



Manhasset, L. I., Dec. 27. 



[Any kind of cage that will permit of a 

 small supply of soft sugar candy will be 

 suitable for caging the queen. While the 

 candy is not absolutely necessary, perhaps, 

 it is advisable to have it where the queen 

 can get to it but not the bees. 



I do not know of any large honey-pro- 

 ducers who are practicing the method un- 

 less it is P. H. Elwood, of Starkville. N. 

 Y. We tried it, but thought it discouraged 

 the working energy of the bees. — Ed.] 



PRICE FOR HELP IN THE APIARY. 



If a man has several colonies of bees on 

 his farm, and desires an experienced 

 apiarist to take charge of and manage 

 them for the season, what condition or terms 

 would be considered right to both the par- 

 ties? W. H Kerr. 



Crawfordsville, Ind.,Dec. 1, 1903. 



[The price for bee-help will depend a 

 great deal on the price of labor in your vi- 

 cinity. You may have to pay all the way 

 from $1.50 to $2.50 a day; but if you have 

 only a few colonies it would not pay to have 

 hired help. But perhaps you refer to keep- 

 ing bees on shares. If so, the rule is for 



one party to furnish the bees and all the 

 supplies except the sections, and receive all 

 of the increase and half the honey and wax; 

 and the other party is to have his half of the 

 honey and wax, but not the increase.-— Ed.] 



HONEY-EXTRACTOR DRIVEN BY FOOT POW- 

 ER; A GOOD IDEA. 



I take pleasure in showing a kink which 

 saved me one hand or one whole helper, for 

 that matter. The sketch shows the ar- 

 rangement. The comb-box is at the right 

 hand, and the uncapping-can at the left, 

 and a little in front. I uncap two combs 

 and place them in the extractor; start the 

 crank with the hand, then work the treadle. 



While doing this I take another comb, un- 

 cap, and place it in the comb- box. I now 

 turn the frames in the machine, start it 

 agoing again, and take another frame; un- 

 cap, and exchange the combs, and proceed 

 as before. When one foot gets tired I push 

 the treadle to the dotted lines, and use the 

 other. ■ There is no change of position ex- 

 cept to turn the arms and shoulders from 

 right to left, and reach ahead to the ex- 

 tractor — no stooping. A two-frame extrac- 

 tor of the Novice type runs very easily. 

 The treadle is 1X2'2 in. by 3 long, with a 

 piece of broom wire to the crank. Whenever 

 you wish to turn by hand you can do so any 

 minute. 



To make a brush, cut a Y^ rope 9 in. long; 

 unravel, and lay out flat. Nail two sticks, 

 one on each side, and bring the other ends 

 close together for a handle. It is ahead of 

 any thing for me. I learned how to make 

 brush from a man by the name of Crow. If 

 nails are driven about 1 '4 in. apart, so the 

 points will about come together, you will 

 have the stiffness as well as the friction to 

 hold the rope strands. 



I have made about 100 hives by nailing — 

 no halving, mitering, nor dovetailing. I 

 have used these three or four years, and 

 not one has given way. Of course, most 

 people will buy their hives, and they can 

 be dovetailed cheaply with machinery. 



Pittsville, Wis. A. B. White. 



[Your foot power and general system of 

 extracting are very good; and on the small 

 light-running non-reversing extractors it 

 will do very well. 



The method of making the brush is some- 

 thing that has been in use for a good many 

 years. It is good, however. — Ed.] 



