600 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jdn'e 1 



last season, is just the reverse. Instead of 

 elevating the super bottom upward, and 

 forcing the honey dov^^nward, 1 elevate the 

 follow^er, set the super right side up on top 

 of it, and force the rim of the super down 

 and off, as you would pull the hide off from 

 a rabbit. 



One of the secrets in successful packing 

 of comb honey is to get it out of the supers 

 with the least possible wrenching and jar- 

 ring, which will break cappings and cause 

 the honey to leak. In this respect this rem- 

 edy is very nearly perfection, as the whole 

 strain of emptying comes on the rim of the 

 super and not on the honey. 



This method originated with me in an 

 endeavor to get some system that had in it 

 rapidity, and at the same time would do 

 away with the annoyance of the drip in the 

 bottom of the shipping-cases, and in this I 

 ■was amply successful in both features; and 

 if a description of the device will be of ben- 

 •efit to the fraternity they are more than 

 welcome to it. 



On top of my packing-table, a little bench 

 the height of my supers is constructed. The 

 top of this bench is the follower above refer- 

 red to, and should be slightly smaller than 

 the inside of the super; and if the reader 

 should be so unfortunate as to be one of 

 those T-super fellows and uses staple T 

 rests, the follower should be so slotted as to 

 let these staples through. Fasten this bench 

 permanently so the side of the bench will be 

 parallel with the table, to get correct posi- 

 tions. Slip an empty super over this bench, 

 and at each end, just outside of the super, 

 and near the corners, cut two holes JXI 

 through the table. Take four pieces of 

 strap iron, say iXg, and sufficiently long to 

 reach from the top of the super placed on 

 top of the little bench to 4 inches below the 

 openings in the table. Three-quarters of an 

 inch of one end of each iron bend to a right 

 angle, and near the other end drill two ^\- 

 inch holes. Now pass these irons through 

 the holes in the table so the L-shaped ends 

 will rest on the ends of the super. Now 

 under the table at each end yoke each set 

 of two irons together by bolting them fast 

 to a piece of board lX2J inches. In the 

 center of each of these yokes fasten a strap 

 which will extend downward and fasten to 

 the arms of a treadle directly below. 



This treadle should be securely made with 

 two arms, a cross-bar, and is hinged at the 

 back of the table four inches above the floor, 

 so that both arms must work in unison. Be- 

 tween the bottom of the table and the 

 treadle fasten a coil spring to lift automat- 

 ically the treadle, and the ejector is ready 

 for action. 



To operate it, place a super to be emptied 

 on top of the little bench, right side up. 

 Hook the irons over the ends of the super; 

 step on the treadle, and the work is done. 



This is true when the weather is warm; 

 but when it is cold, and the propolis is stiff, 

 a light-weight person will need all the power 

 he can get on the treadle, so it is advisable 

 to place the little bench as far back on the 



table as possible, and figure to get as much 

 lever purchase as possible in the treadle. In 

 obstinate cases a stroke with a hammer or a 

 pry of a chisel on each corner while power is 

 being applied will break the propolis, and 

 the weight of the body will do the rest. 



To the extracted-honey fellows who use 

 shallow closed-end-frame supers, here is 

 something useful. Construct one of these 

 in convenient position to your uncapping- 

 can and see how nicely it will work. 



Prophetstown, 111., Feb. 24. 



CHAFF-PACKED COVERS. 

 Making out of Old Leaky Excelsior Covers. 



BY C. F. BENDER. 



The excelsior covers may be very good if 

 they are kept well painted; but if the paint- 

 ing is neglected until they become season- 

 checked and begin to leak, they are some- 

 thing of a nuisance. I have a way of chang- 

 ing them into good waterproof covers, with- 

 out very much labor or expense. Of course, 

 it does not pay to buy the excelsiors new 

 just to change them into double covers; but 

 if one already has leaky ones on hand, that is 

 a different matter. 



The strips C C are first put on, coming up 

 flush with the top of the cleats. Then the 

 spaces, S S, are filled with chaff or sawdust, 



and the whole top is covered with thin lum- 

 ber. Put on a roof of Neponset or other 

 good roofing-paper, and give it three coats 

 of paint. This cover always stays flat, and 

 gives good satisfaction the year round. I 

 have had fifty of them in use for two years, 

 and like them nearly as well as the regular 

 double covers. They are a trifle heavy, but 

 for that very reason they never need to be 

 weighted, and, if painted white, no shade- 

 boards are required. The paper is quite a 

 protection agamst heat or cold, holds paint 

 much better than wood, and lasts longer 

 than tin. If you want a lasting cover, don't 

 use cleats to hold the paper on. Simply turn 

 under the edge about | inch, by folding over 

 a straight edge, and fasten with heavy tacks. 

 Newman, 111. 



