1906 



GLEANINCxS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1243 



sun was shining bright: but it seemed as eool 

 as any building of its size could l)e. Of 

 course, the dark walls do not reflect as much 

 light as white ones would: but with the large 

 ventilators or windows covered with wire 

 cloth thei"e is an abundance of light. The 

 smell of the paper is not offensive, and does 

 not make the honey taste in the least. 



Well, we carried the engine insitle and 

 soon had it connected with the four-frame 

 extractor already in position. (At present 

 Mr. Townsend has a four-frame extractor at 

 each yard, but thinks of purchasing an eight- 

 frame for next year, with an engine, and 

 taking the whole outfit 

 from yard to yard on 

 the wagon.) 



A loose belt is used: 

 and to start the reel 

 cari'ying the combs, it 

 is necessary only to 

 step on the treadle con- 

 nected by a wire to the 

 idler so that the belt 

 is tightened, and then 

 go aliout other work, 

 allowing the extractor 

 to run as long as is nec- 

 essary. After the bas- 

 kets are reversed with 

 the lever, and the other 

 side of the combs ex- 

 tracted, the reel is 

 stopped by releasing 

 the treadle and apply- 

 ing the brake. See 

 Fig. 3. 



Since the engine runs 

 continuously, some 



might think that too 

 much gasoline is used: 

 but hardly more than 

 a quart is used a day. 

 so the fuel item is not 

 important. 



We had absolutely 

 no trouble whatever 

 with the engine. It 

 requii'es no attention: 

 and after being started 

 it need not be looketl 

 after except to till up 

 the lubricator alwut 

 once a day. Mr. Town- 

 send's youngest son. a 

 Ijoy about ten years old. 

 was able to start it 

 without any trouble. 

 So. instead of being so warm that the per- 

 spiration dropped from our faces, we were 

 fanned by the breeze from the reel. 



I believe any one who has done a good 

 deal of uncapping could easily take entire 

 charge of the combs from the time that they. 

 enter the extracting-house until they are 

 empty. This depends, of course, upon his 

 skill in wielding the knife and also upon the 

 size of the extractor. 



THE UNCAPPING-CAN. 



Mr. Townsend's uncapping-can is a cheap 

 affair, but it's a good one too — just a ci'ack- 



er-barrel with two sticks nailed across the 

 top to I'est the frames on. It stands in a 

 galvanized-iron tub, so that the honey leaks 

 through the staves into the tub. 



When the barrel is full, two men lift it on 

 to two sticks over another tvil) so that it may 

 drain still more. 



A COMB-HOLDEK. 



Many will be interested in the comb-hold- 

 er as shown in Fig. 4. After the comb is 

 uncapped it is set in the stand as shown, so 

 that the dripping honey will run down on to 

 the galvanized-iron pan antl then through 

 the tube in the center to the pail beneath. 



FIG. 4. — FUAJIE-HOLDEK FOK CATCHING THE DKIP 

 CAPPED COMBS. 



FROM UN- 



The pail is emptied, when full, into the main 

 tank. This saves all drip, and provides a 

 convenient stand for holding the uncapped 

 combs. 



GENTLE HYBRIDS. 



, p Every extracted-honey producer — yes, and 



I f every comb-honey producer as well, ought 



' f to see Mr. Townsend handle bees. One 



' • would think he kept only leather-colored 



Italians or Caucasians — in fact. I don't see 



how bees could be more gentle. And yet, 



imagine my surprise to find that they avei'- 



aged only one yellow band. Some had none, 



