134 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



fected cells with very finely pow- 

 dered coffee. An excess of coffee 

 powder would do no harm, bees 

 would simply clean it out. Being 

 employed dry it would absorb any 

 moisture,_,and so assist the bees in 

 work of cleaning. As a preventive, 

 Dr. D. advises mixing coffee with 

 the water put out for bees to drink. 

 Monsieur Bertrand (of Swiss Bee 

 Journal), in criticising this coffee- 

 cure, says he heard a commercial 

 drummer one day say " Roast duck 

 is a good dish, but to appreciate it, 

 one must eat it himself" and so rec- 

 ommends Dr. Dennler (who it ap- 

 pears personally never tried the 

 remedy) to get a diseased colony, 

 dust it all over with coffee, give it 

 a good strong cup every morning, 

 etc., etc., and then report results 

 from actual experience. — Very sen- 

 sible, Mr. Bertrand ! 



I lately drew attention to an un- 

 capping machine perfected in Italy, 

 and exhibited there. In England, 

 Mr. Simmins has brought one for- 

 ward for sale, and gives a drawing 

 of it in the British Bee Journal. He 

 states that the first principle of this 

 machine consists in its having two 

 oscillating knives, which, driven by 

 foot power, have a reverse motion, 

 while the comb is passed down be- 

 tween them by the operator, and the 

 cappings are removed from both 

 sides at once, in the quickest manner 

 possible. These drop into the upper 

 case which has a strainer at bottom, 

 through which the honey drains into 

 the lower vessel, where it can be 

 drawn off. The edges of the knives 

 are serrated, making them perfect 

 for this particular purpose. Between 

 the knives, at either end, are guides 

 arranged to take the end rails of the 

 frame, keeping such in position while 

 passed through by the operator. 



The upper and lower cases are 

 readily parted for the purpose of 

 cleaning ; and all the parts can be 

 renewed if necessary. 



For use in this machine, all the 

 frames run for extracted honey 

 should be finished between dividers, 

 and then they can be rapidly passed 

 through the uncapper, before being 

 placed in the extractor. 



Mr. Simmins states that the rapid- 

 ity of manipulation pays for putting 

 in dividers to secure level building 

 of combs. 



Phila., Pa. 



For the American Apiculturist. 



CANADIAN DEBAR TMENT. 



By R. F. HOLTERMAN. 



Bees doing well at this date. May 

 12. A number report their bees hang- 

 ing out full complement of combs in 

 the hive. Prospects well, perhaps 

 never better. Apple bloom is just 

 coming in with us ; the earlier varie- 

 ties are in bloom. Clover promises 

 well. Although winter-killed in low 

 undrained land generally, there is an 

 abundance. Farmers are sowing al- 

 syke in larger quantities, for seed and 

 meadow. With us alsyke clover has 

 proved itself a sure honey crop for 

 the last five years and the quality 

 is generally considered superior to 

 honey from white. 



Brantford, Canada. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



What is called the "contract- 

 ing system " has great excellence 

 for a class of small beekeepers who 

 wish no increase of colonies, but 

 to get all the honey out of their 

 new swarms they can. Hive the 

 new swarms on four or five frames 

 of comb, filling the rest of the hive 

 with dummies, and put the sec- 

 tions right on at once. All the 

 honey will be put into the sections, 

 and at the close of the harvest 

 these small swarms in the brood 



