1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



391 



respond with the hole in the bottom of the 

 super. 



I next g-ot a piece of engine- hose about 8 

 inches long, and a round pressed tin box, 

 4 inches in diameter, 1*2 inches deep. I 

 took this to tlie tinsmith, and got him to 

 make a J4-inch hole in the center of the lid, 

 and solder a 2- inch spout on the same so as 

 to fit tight when shoved inside of the hose, 

 and solder the lid tight to the box. He then 

 took a piece of tin 4X4, cut a ,^4 -inch hole 

 in the center, and soldered a spout on to tit 

 tight over the hose. This I nailed tight to 

 the bottom-board. 



For a lid to cover the super I used a heavy 

 flat board with a :V-inch hole bored in the 

 center, and cork to fit in the same. 



Now set your eight or nine combs in the 

 super; place the lid on top; leave the cork 

 out and put something heavy on the board 

 to hold it solid on top of the super, but do 

 not cover the hole. Remove the tin from the 

 bottom end of the hose, and pour into it l '2 

 to 2 oz. of formalin; place in position again; 

 and, under the same, place an alcohol-lamp. 

 Light the lamp; and as soon as you detect 

 the fumes of the formalin coming out of the 

 hole of the lid, cork it up, and a few seconds 

 after remove the lamp. 



I would recommend leaving the combs in 

 the fumigating-box from i2 to 18 hours, and 

 be sure to have the box and attachments as 

 nearly air-tight as possible. 



Above I give you a drawing-, showing, as 

 nearly as I can, how I had the box ar- 

 ranged. J. W. Thomson. 



Britannia, Out. 



[Mr. Thomson speaks of using 2 oz. of 

 formalin. I suppose he means the liquid, 

 for it comes in two forms — in the powder, 

 and in the liquid condition. The former is 

 less powerful, but will accomplish the same 

 result if enough of it is used. 



So far reports have shown that formalin 

 gas, when properly applied, disinfects the 

 comb. We have had so far, I think, some 

 five or six reports, all decidedl3' favorable 

 save one. I hope that bee-keepers all over 

 the country who have the disease in their 

 apiary will immediately conduct experi- 

 ments, and report results. If we can dis- 

 infect combs without melting them up, from 

 foul-broody or black broody hives, we shall 

 have made a long stride ahead. I still have 

 my doubts about it, but am open to convic- 

 tion. 



This reminds me that Mr. C. H. W. Web- 

 er, of Cincinnati, has prepared a little 

 pamphlet on the treatment of diseased col- 

 onies with formalin gas. The price of the 

 pamphlet is 25 cents.— Ed.] 



ers have not called attention to it long ago, 

 which I am not aware any one has done. 



I inclose a sketch which will explain it- 

 self. The barrow in the cut is supposed to 

 be a modification of the Daisy, and the 

 main points of dift'erence are simply these: 



1. Two wheels on the axle, instead of one 

 — one at each end of the axle; and if the 

 axle were made a third longer, and the 

 wheel end one-third wider, it would be bet- 

 ter. 



2. Make the floor of the barrow level, the 

 front end level with the back end. 



.<;^ 



AN IMPROVEMENT IN WHKELBARROWS SUG- 

 GESTED. 



I wish to call your attention to what I 

 think would be a very valuable improve- 

 ment in wheelbarrows for bee-keepers, and 

 for other people too, for that matter, and 

 yet so simple that I am surprised that oth- 



3. Make the end-board perpendicular, in- 

 stead of slanting backward, and make it a 

 little higher than in the Daisy. 



4. Make the handles with a much greater 

 upward curve, if it can be done. This is 

 very desirable. 



5. Make oil-cups, or orifices, in the bear- 

 ings, for oiling the axles; and these would 

 be much better if protected by a little mov- 

 able cap to exclude the dirt. These oiling- 

 cups would be a valuable improvement in 

 the Daisy, or any other good wheelbarrow. 



Now, this barrow would not be as pretty 

 and artistic as the Daisj', but it would be 

 far better than any other I have ever seen. 



It would not be for ever read 3-^ to tip over 

 when in use, as the single-wheel barrow is. 

 You would not have to laj' a piece of 2X4 

 scantling across the back end, and lay in a 

 loose floor, in order to carry supers of comb, 

 hives of bees, or jars of honey level; and 

 when you removed one of two jars, you need 

 have no fear that the other would instantly 

 tip over — jar, barrow, and all. And then 

 your perpendicular back-board would be of 

 some use to you, instead of being of very 

 little use as it is now. 



Then when you wished to weigh your 

 hives for winter (or weigh any thing else) 

 all you would have to do would be to place 

 your scales upon your level barrow, wheel 

 out among the hives, and go to work. 



John W. Murray. 



Excelsior, Minn, Mar. 12. 



[Wheelbarrows have been made with two 

 wheels; and while they have certain ad- 

 vantages, they have disadvantages which, 

 in the minds of many, more than counter- 

 balance. Two wheels would make more 

 friction, and involve more expense. But the 

 worst feature is, they will not run in a path 

 or on a narrow board. If one had good 

 nice level driveways smoothed down, or a 

 bee-yard as smooth as a brickyard, a two- 

 wheeled barrow would do very well. A sin- 

 g^le wheel in a narrow path would run much 

 easier than two wheels on ordinary sod. 



