GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



August, 1917 



the middle, so as to permit swinging open 

 at the top at any time it becomes necessary 

 to free the building of bees. The rear end 

 is a solid framework covered with canvas. 

 The roof is made of thin lumber, Vi inch, 

 nailed on to four cross-pieces, which are a 

 little higher in the middle than at the outer 

 ends, and roofing paper tacked on to make 

 it water-proof. The front end is closed by 

 two canvas doors. In case of rain there is 

 a canvas curtain on each side that can be 

 rolled inside the screen, thus keeping the 

 interior dry. 



The room inside is 6 ft. 4 in., in the clear, 

 from the floor to the roof. The different 

 parts of the building being held together by 

 Van Deusen hive-clamps, the whole struc- 

 ture can be very quickly taken off when the 

 trailer is needed for other purposes. 



Such an extracting outfit is not expen- 

 sive. An old touring-ear ready for the 

 heap can be purchased for $50.00 to 

 depending on the condition of the 

 We used 162 feet of lumber in mak- 

 ing the platform, 64 feet for the framework 

 of the walls and roof, 30 yards of canvas, 

 and 8 yards of heavy galvanized screen. 



scrap 

 $100, 

 tires. 



Gravity method of clarifying. A large cheese- 

 cloth bag is supported in the tank. No honey is 

 drawn off into cans until the tank is full, and then 

 no faster than it is pumped in. All bits of cappings 

 float to the surface of the bag, hence the cheese-cloth 

 does not clog up. A heavy wire hoop in the bottom 

 of the bag overcomes any tendency of the cloth to 

 float. The honey is drawn off into cans thru a fun- 

 nel in the floor. 



There are plenty of arguments in favor of 

 the central extracting plant, and just as 

 many, perhaps, for the portable plant. Up 

 to this season we have had but little ex- 

 perience with the latter plan, but we are 

 trying it this season. So far we are vei'y 

 well pleased. 



T 



QUALITY VS. QUANTITY 



Don't Extra :t the Last Drop and then 



Feed Sugar; Sell Only the Best and 



thus Secure the Highest '^riee 



By Arthur C. Miller 



HERE is a 

 const ant 

 and steadi- 

 ly i n e r e asing 

 complaint about 

 the low price 

 which the pro- 

 ducer gets for 

 liis honiey, and 

 I contend that the producers are to blame. 

 For that statement I shall doubtless be tak- 

 en to task ; but I am so sure that I am 

 right that I repeat, it is the producers' own 

 fault if they do not get a satisfactory price 

 for' their honey. 



In making these statements I am speak- 

 ing of general and usual conditions and not 

 of exceptional conditions such as those 

 caused by the present war, which has raised 

 prices, or the accidental glutting of some 

 market, which sends them down. 



The gererally accepted reasons given are 

 over - production and under - consumption. 

 The prescribed remedy has been to endeav- 

 or to increase consumption. Reducing pro- 

 duction has seldom, if ever, been suggested, 

 perhaps because of the improbability of 

 getting the beekeepers to unite on such a 

 plan. So each individual keeps merrily at 

 the task of skinning the bees of the very last 

 drop of honey and then feeding sugar to 



take its place. I 

 hope to show 

 that this baneful 

 practice is one 

 of the greatest 

 of several causes 

 of under - con- 

 sumption a n d 

 low prices. 

 ]t comes about in this way: The bee- 

 keeper having by precept and example been 

 taught to work for large per-colony yield, 

 tries to secure every possible drop of honey 

 - — good, indifferent, and poor; the good be- 

 cause it sells well, the indifferent because it 

 also sells, tho for a little less, and the poor 

 because he has been taught that such honey 

 is bad for the bees and can be sold for 

 something. Some poor honey may be bad 

 for the bees, but I question if it is often 

 the cause of harm to them. I do know that 

 I have had just as successful wintering on 

 some blends of poor honey and honey-dew 

 as I have had on the best honey or on 

 sugar stores. Much honey which the bee- 

 keeper considers poor in a merchandise 

 sense is perfectly good so far as the wel- 

 fare of the bees is concerned. 



It is the poor and indifferent honey which 

 is at the bottom of under-consumption and 

 low price. In his personal or local trade 



