724 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



F. J. Severin's capping-melter. showing the melting surface made of square tubes, the metal scraper 

 for the knives, and the slots for heating them. 



tures of this melter are taken from those 

 used by E. F. Atwater, Meridian, Idaho, 

 and F. A. Powers, of Parma, Idaho; but I 

 have added a number of improvements my- 

 self to perfect the outfit. 



The can outside is 23 inches long, 18X 

 inches wide, 8}4. inches deep, outside mea- 

 surements. The tubes shown in the en- 

 graving are 16)4 inches long and IX inches 

 square; they are placed nearly X inch apart, 

 turned with one corner up to give a better 

 melting surface. Being square they hold 

 more water; and, besides, the meltingof the 

 cappings is more quickly done than if the 

 tubes were triangular. There is 5 inches of 

 space from the top of the tubes to the top of 

 the melter, and a >4^-inch space underneath, 

 this latter opening into a spout U inch dee]3, 

 5 inches wide and 3 long, extending through 

 the water-jacket to the outside. The water- 

 space between the bottoms is one inch, and 

 between the sides 1^ inches at the bottom, 

 running up to nothing at the top. The pro- 

 jection of the water space for the knives at 

 the side is 6 inches long, 1 inch wide, 8^ 

 inches deep. A piece of wood with two 

 holes cut for the knives rests in this projec- 

 tion of the water-space, leaving the handles 

 of the knives all cool and clean from steam 

 and honey. A shield just inside the knives 

 keeps the water from boiling over into the 

 honey and wax. 



The tubes are made of copper instead of 

 heavy tin or galvanized iron, for they last 

 Jonger, and they have, in my opinion, a 



much faster melting surface, and retain the 

 heat longer. I use a galvanized rubbing- 

 iron for my knives instead of rubbing them 

 on the wooden cross-bar, as nearly every 

 one else does. I can clean the blades better 

 with one stroke for each side than I can on 

 the cross-bars, as this scraper projects ^4 of 

 an inch, and is '/& inch higher than the 

 edge of the melter. 



I have found that this melter is large 

 enough for two operators. I use only one 

 burner, but the stove is made for two. The 

 first time I used it I tried to overload the 

 melter with cappings, but failed. Even if 

 one were to emjiloy two operators continu- 

 ously, and had all of his honey brought in 

 at once, being freed from bees by escapes, I 

 venture to say that this machine could nev- 

 er be "balled up " if two burners were going. 



San Diego, Cal, 



CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE SHADE -BOARDS 

 MADE OF LATH AND SHINGLES. 



BY E. F. ROBERTSON. 



I have always been an ardent advocate 

 of shade in our hot months. We take our 

 industrious little workers out of some shady 

 forest home or some cool rocky crevice, and 

 compel them to live in the blazing sun, 

 covered by only some %-inch lumber, and 

 think it natural for them to work when the 

 thermometer placed on the hive registers 

 120° F. Vast numbers of bees cluster ■" out- 



