772 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15 



terinp on a human being. It is indeed a 

 fact that they will sometimes seek the most 

 unusual places, although as a rule they pre- 

 fer a leafy bough with plenty of convenient 

 points of attachment, for comparatively 

 few bees must hold the entire weight of the 

 ■cluster. Occasionally a swarm will hang 

 under the eaves of a building, and if left 

 undisturbed may draw out a set of combs; 

 or, if there be a convenient hole, crawl up 

 and occupy a space under the roof as in the 

 first picture. At other times they will clus- 

 ter on agricultural machinery. Mr. J. A. 

 Gillette, of Burchinal, la., sends us a photo 

 of this kind, but the old farmer was, appar- 

 ently, a bee-keeper too, for he has in his 

 hands, as will be seen, a Clark bee-smoker. 

 A further evidence of this fact is a modern 

 hive with its entrance located immediately 

 beneath the cluster. In front of the en- 

 trance is what appears to be a 1 oard on 

 which, as the bees are dumped, they can 

 conveniently run into the hive. We are not 

 told what happened, but I surmise that the 

 hay-rake at the point directly above the 

 swarm was given a quick hard jar, and the 

 job was done. 



»«« 



A CAPPINGS AND WAX PRESS 



Out of an Old Cheese-press. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



squeeze cappings from extractings dry. 

 One illustration shows the machine dissect- 

 ed, with the perpendicular grooved boards, 

 so that the honey, as it is squeezed out, may 

 run down into the pan beneath, where it can 

 be drawn off. The other illustration shows 

 the machine assembled, ready to squeeze. 



Some time ago Mr. T. Bolton, of Dunkeld, 

 Australia, sent us two photos illustrating a 

 device he was using. It is nothing more 

 nor less than an old cheese-press adapted to 



CAPPINGS-PRESS CLOSED. 



These old cheese-presses can be bought 

 very cheaply in some localities, and, when 

 obtainable, serve excellently both for cap- 

 pings and hot slumgum. The latter must be 

 melted in a kettle of water conveniently 

 near, and then dumped into a burlap sack. 

 Pressure is quickly applied, causing the wax 

 to flow out from all points. 



The illustration herewith shown will ex- 

 plain how an old press can be adapted for 

 either a cappings-squeezer or a regulation 

 wax-press. 



»t«» 



HIVE-TOOLS. 



Their Use and Abuse. 



BY LESLIE BURR. 



CAPPINGS-PRESS OPEN. 



On page 312, March 15, are cuts of the H. 

 S. Ferry hive-opener and bee-brush. Those 

 things are along the line of many other de- 

 vices that are continually being advocated 

 by various men who know very little about 

 practical bee-keeping. I may here mention 

 the Hochstein machine for holding frames 

 while uncapping, and the man who ran his 

 extractor with a treadle while he uncapped, 

 also using two knives to uncap with, keep- 



