662 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



ready for extracting. The uncapping-tank 

 stands just back of the front carrier out of 

 sight, and after the combs are uncapped 

 they stand in the drip-pan until they are 

 ready to be extracted. Eight combs can be 

 held at one time in this pan. The gasoline- 

 stove stands just back of the second comb- 

 carrier as shown. It has two burners, one 

 of which is used to heat the water in which 

 the uncapping-knives stand. We also use 

 this stove for cooking j^urposes when we are 

 at the out-apiary. 



The honey from the extractor runs to the 

 honey-tank under the wagon — first, how- 

 ever, passing through a square funnel hav- 

 ing a strainer which rests on the floor and 

 extends down into the tank. To use the 

 weighing-machine, I dig a hole in the 

 ground 24x36 inches, and 22 inches deep. 

 In this swings the platform on which the 

 cans stand while they are being filled from 

 the tank. I also use a strainer funnel in 

 filling the cans. 



My whole outfit consists of two wagons, 

 one of which carries the cans, hay, bedding, 

 and rations, and, on the trip home, the fill- 

 ed cans of honey. The other wagon, as il- 

 lustrated, carries the extracting-outfit. 



My crew consists of a man to turn the ex- 

 tractor, my daughter to uncap, my 11-year- 

 old boy to blow smoke, and I myself take 

 off the honey, return the empty combs, and 

 attend to the filling of the cans with the 

 weighing-machine. With this crew I have 

 extracted and put in cans 4400 pounds of 

 honey in 15 hours, taking the honey from 

 the bees and returning the empty combs. 

 On this occasion I broke the record; but I 

 can easily take off, extract, and can 2000 



pounds in eight or 

 nine hours when ev- 

 ery thing is in work- 

 ing order. Last sea- 

 son I canned 30,000 

 pounds of honey, and 

 by the outfit I was 

 saved an extra help- 

 er, which means some- 

 thing in one sea- 

 son. 



DETAILS OF THE AU- 

 TOMATIC DEVICE 

 FOR SHUTTING THE 

 GATE WHEN THE 

 CAN IS FULL. 



In brief, the work- 

 ing of my outfit is as 

 follows: A weight is 

 wound up on a small 

 reel, and held from 

 unwinding by a trig- 

 ger or rachet. When 

 there is sufficient 

 honey in the can to 

 overbalance the steel- 

 yard the trigger is 

 released, the w^eight 

 unwinds, and falls on 

 the handle of the 

 gate, thus closing it; 

 and at the same time 

 a bell is rung to give the alarm. 



In order to arrange the apparatus ready 

 for filling a can, the trigger or rachet is set 

 in position, the reel wound up until the 

 weight is at the required height, and then 

 the gate opened. One may then go about 

 any olher work without danger of the can 

 running over, for the weight will always 

 fall at the proper moment and shut the gate. 

 I have so much confidence in this little ma- 

 cine that I have started the honey running, 

 and then gone to bed, knowing that the gate 

 will be as sure to close as if I watched it. 



The frame that holds the steelyard and 

 winding-drum is made of narrow strap iron, 

 except one broad plate of iron that holds the 

 old squirrel-rifle triggers that release the 

 drum or reel. On this drum is a loose swing- 

 ing hammer that hits a bell every revolution 

 when the weight falls to shut the gate. The 

 swinging platform consists of a square board 

 with a rim around three sides that hangs 

 from the steelyard so that, when there is 

 the proper amount of honey in the can, the 

 weight on the arm will be overbalanced. 

 Cory, Colo. 



[The record made by our correspondent is 

 a very good one, especially if we consider 

 that the outfit is a portable one, and is capa- 

 ble of the same output in any one of sev- 

 eral different outyards. Since the extract- 

 ing-outfit stands right in the apiary there 

 is very little loss of time in handling combs 

 of honey, and the animal heat from the 

 bees is thus preserved to keep the honey 

 thin so that it runs freely. 



The trouble with most portable outfits is 

 that they are very inconvenieat; but such 

 does not seem to be the case with this. — Eu.] 



