THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



185 



Pur tbe Amerlcnn Bee JuurnaL 



Wood Separators. 



C. K. ISHAM. 



A Tew reasons why I prefer them, 

 also some of tlie objections to the use 

 of any separators, considered. 



In a previous article in the Bee 

 JouKNAL, I claimed that with sepa- 

 rators, the combs are built true and of 

 even tliickness, thereby admitting of 

 glassing, whicli for neat and improved 

 appearance, I consider indispensible, 

 especially if we wish to put our honey 

 upon the market in tlie most attrac- 

 tive and salable shape, and avoid leak- 

 ing and mussing, with which both 

 dealer and consumer become more or 

 less disgusted. We prefer wood sepa- 

 rators cut 1-16 inch tnick, as they are 

 lighter, cheaper, warmer, and make a 

 wider entrance for the bees to get into 

 the sections, whicli is now considered 

 to be of great importance. 



The (irst and principal objection to 

 their use, is that more honey can be 

 obtained without than with them. 

 How can we better judge as to cor- 

 rectness of these claims than by a 

 comparison of results? Taking the 

 report of Mr. .James Ileddon, a strong 

 anti-separator advocate, and compar- 

 ing it with my neighbors, JNIessrs. J. 

 C. Newman & Sons, I liiid that for 

 several years from an average number 

 of colonies, they have obtained about 

 double the amount of surplus honey ; 

 I find that Messrs. Uean and Van 

 Eaton, of York, and also the Messrs. 

 Benedict, of Perry, can report a far 

 better average than I have seen in the 

 figures used by anti-separator advo- 

 cates. 



One report which I will make spec- 

 ial mention of, is that of Mr. P. D. 

 Jones, near Mt. Morris, N. Y., who 

 has, from 90 colonies, spring count, 

 during the past season, obtained some 

 12,0U0 lbs. of comb honey. Were it 

 necessary, I could give several other 

 reports which have come under my 

 observation, as within what we 

 term our ''bee circle," embraced 

 in the counties of Wyoming and 

 Livingston, there was last year pro- 

 duced a crop of some 100.000 lbs. of 

 section comb honey. This large 

 amount was produced by a limited 

 number of apiarists who mostly make 

 a specialty of the business, and nearly 

 all of whom, after years of careful ex- 

 perimenting, are now using wood sep- 

 arators. 



Here is a query : When a colony of 

 bees are working at full capacity, and 

 so intent upon storing in sections, 

 that at the close of the yield they have 

 in some instances, as vfas the case this 

 fall, only from 2 to 6 lbs. of honey in 

 the brood chamber, with 100 or more 

 pounds stored in surplus arrangements 

 above, — how in the name of reason 

 could more honey be obtained by dis- 

 pensing with separators? Here I 

 claim another point for wood separa- 

 tors : They can store in tiered sec- 

 tions to belter advantage, as they have 

 two bee spaces instead of one, and can 

 use the separator to travel over in- 

 stead of passing, or crowding through 

 the bees at work upon the comb in the 

 lower tier. 



I think that apiarists will agree with 

 me. that comb honey can be more pro- 

 titably built J'o inches thick than any 

 thinner, as only the same amount of 

 capping is required. This narrowing 

 of the sections down to 1'4 inches in 

 width in order to do away with sepa- 

 rators, and using J^lb. boxes, is bring- 

 ing the whole business of producing 

 comb honey down to the same con- 

 tracted proportions— micalled for by 

 dealer or consumer, and at best, only 

 a whim of some apiarists whose main 

 ambition seems to be to bring the 

 honey business down to dimensions 

 corresponding with the size of section 

 the advocates use. I think it an ad- 

 vantage to use separators, although 

 not wishing to glass the honey, 

 as by fastening strips across the sepa- 

 rator for the edges of the sections to 

 rest against, they will be filled flush, 

 and are ready forcrating without dan- 

 ger of chating ; or, if desired, put info 

 paper boxes, which is now a popular 

 way to put it up for market. 



Since writing the above, I see that 

 in February number of Oleanings, 

 among the editorials on page 101, tliat 

 Mr. A. I. Root writes as follows under 

 the heading of Wooden Separators : 

 " These seem to have lost favor. Dr. 

 Besse mentioned at the convention 

 that although he made and sold a 

 great many of them, he had discarded 

 them. The principal objectio!i seemed 

 to be that they will warp. This might 

 be obviated by making them thicker; 

 but this would increase the expense, 

 and also occupy valuable room in the 

 brood apartmeiit. If separators must 

 be used, tin seems to be the best ma- 

 terial to occupy little space without 

 being affected by the dampness of the 

 hive." 



There is more absurdity contained 

 in the above quotation, than in any 

 thing I have read pertaining to intel- 

 ligent bee-culture, for several years 

 past. From the reports I have given, 

 does it look as though they had lost 

 favor y 



At the last annual February meet- 

 ing of the Northeastern Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, held in the City Hall at 

 Syracuse, N. Y., and which was prob- 

 ably as large an assemblage of bee- 

 keepers as often meet together— at 

 times the whole seating capacity of 

 the hall being filled, the subject of 

 using separators was discussed, and 

 no one spoke against them, and the 

 question was decided in their favor by 

 an unanimous vote. Does this look 

 like having lost favor with New York 

 and New England apiarists, whose 

 record the past season as successful 

 honey producers gives authority of the 

 highest character to their expression 

 upon the subject ? 



Their warping, as Dr. Besse is spo- 

 ken of as having mentioned, has not 

 been our experience, especially when 

 used in racks and brouglit together by 

 following boards, which I consider far 

 ahead of wide frames for top storing. 

 When cut from properly-seasoned and 

 suitable lumber, and afterwards 

 slightly steamed, then pressed and 

 dried (which is easily done), they are 

 almost as Hat as boards, and of 1-lfi 

 inch in thickness do not check or split 

 to any amount, or do not sink when 



the edges of two sections chance to 

 mismatch. 



Mr. Hoot's suggestion to make them 

 thicker is unnecessary, and for econ- 

 omical atul successful using, imprac- 

 ticable, and evidences that he has 

 not had much, if any practical expe- 

 rience with them; besides, what do we 

 want of them in the brood chamber V 

 That they are affected l)y dampness, 

 is something I have never seen, al- 

 though I have had them in use more 

 or less for the past 15 years. How can 

 dampness from the bees affect storing 

 attachments, when it is warm enough 

 for bees to store honey in sections ? I 

 leave the question for some novice in 

 bee-culture to answer. 



After becoming convinced that wood 

 was more desirable, I laid aside (or 

 sold for half cost) some 2 or .3 thousand 

 tin separators, and could not be in- 

 duced to return to their use if they 

 were furnished me gratuitously, and I 

 think most of my bee-keeping neigh- 

 bors will bear me out in making this 

 assertion. 



Peoria, N. Y. 



[It should, perhaps, be stated that 

 while the Eastern markets require 

 glassed sections of honey, in the West 

 they are of very slow sale. Conse- 

 quently this modifies the argument 

 concerning the use of separators. If 

 the honey is to be glassed, separators 

 cannot be dispensed with. — Ed.] 



Indiana State Convention. 



The fifth annual meeting of the 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association con- 

 vened in Indianapolis, Jan. 1-'). The 

 Indiana Farmer says : The meeting 

 was called to order promptly at 10:30 

 a. m. Vice-President Johnson in the 

 chair. The reports of the several 

 otiicers showed the society to be in 

 good condition and full of life. Dr. 

 J. H. Orear called attention to the 

 work of the society, and what was ex- 

 pected would be gained by a close ad- 

 herence to the rules of the organiza- 

 tion. The President said that mem- 

 bers should pay strict attention to 

 business, work promptly, and above 

 all call things by their proper names, 

 thereby helping all beginners to a fair 

 understanding of just what was meant 

 during the discussion of the several 

 subjects as they came before the 

 meeting. 



Spring management was the first 

 question of general interest brought 

 before the meeting. Mr. Davis oe- 

 lieved that early feeding must be re- 

 sorted to for the best results. 



Mr. Lane also practiced early feed- 

 ing to stimulate brood-rearing. He 

 commenced his spring work first by 

 giving all his hives a thorough cleans- 

 ing of all dead bees, cappiugs, and the 

 usual filth which accumulated in the 

 hives during the time the bees were 

 confined. He preferred candy for 

 early spring feeding, as it was better 

 to supply the bees in the hives than to 

 entice them out during high cold 

 winds. 



Dr. Orear's plan was much like 

 those already given — feeding syrups. 



