1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



879 



SMOKERS AND EXTRACTORS. 



Hinging Smolders; tlie Crane Valve; Double-pocliet 

 Reversible Extractors; High Speed in Extracting; 

 Wiring Frames; Getting a Swarm out of Elevat- 

 ed Position without Climbing. 



BY ADRIAN GETAZ. 



In answer to a request made some time 

 ag'o in these columns I will give a little of 

 m3' experience with smokers. 



In the first place, I decidedly object to 

 breech-loading. I want the fresh fuel on 

 top of the other, and a wad of grass or wet 

 shavings in the nozzle, so as to arrest the 

 sparks and cool the smoke. In breech-load- 

 ing, the first charge would fulfill these con- 

 ditions; but in the subsequent reloading, 

 the fuel already half burned will be pusii- 

 ed toward and into the nozzle. Until your 

 attention is called to it, and until you ob- 

 serve closel3% 3'ou have no idea how many 

 bees are injured and maimed by the hot 

 burning smoke. I do not want any so-call- 

 ed cold blast, or any admittance of air with 

 the smoke, as it impairs its efficacy, and 

 cools it but ver}^ little after all. 



I have had trouble with all my smokers 

 from the hinged tops flying back instead of 

 remaining closed. At last I filed the hinge 

 some, and put in a thin wire in place of ttie 

 split pin. This gave sufficient play at the 

 hinge to permit the nozzle to settle well 

 on the fire-barrel. 



Some four years ago I bought two Crane 

 smokers. One is in use yet; the other is 

 worn out — that is, the fire-barrel is. I 

 bought another last fall, but it is not so 

 good. There is too much space between 

 the valve and the air-passage to the fire- 

 barrel. The two first ones closed pretty 

 tight, as shown at 2. 



The last I bought has the air-passage 

 flaring like 3, and there is too much air lost 

 between the valve and the air-passage. I 

 presume the defect is accidental, and due 

 to some carelessness of the workmen. I 

 have remedied it. 



I note that complaints have been m <de 

 that the Crane valve does not work well 

 soon after the smoker has been in use. I 

 h.ui the same trouble. A thorough clean- 

 ing of the accumulated creosote did not 

 mend the matter much, so I concluded that 

 the trouble must be somewhere else. I soon 

 discovered that the valve was too tight in 

 the hole of the bellows. It was easy to fix 

 the thing right, and that ended the trouble. 

 The creosote does not accumulate in suffi- 

 cient quantity to cause trouble. The move- 

 ment of the valve prevents this. 



Now, why did the valve work well at 

 first, and in a few weeks was too small, or, 

 rather, too tight? This happened to both 

 smokers. 



The only answer that I can give is that, 

 in making 3rour smokers, you use kiln-dried 

 lumber, and at the first damp weather such 

 lumber swells back to its natural size. 



I am impatient to see what sort of motor 

 you will offer for sale to run an extractor. 

 I need a motor for some other purpose; but 

 so far I have not found any thing exactly to 

 my fanC3'. ' 



With a motor you will want an extractor 

 taking at least ten combs at once. I would 

 suggest putting the combs on two rows, or, 

 rather, two circles, and a sheet of tin be- 

 tween the two to catch the honey from the 

 inside row, as shown at 4. 



N- 



A higher speed may also be desirable. 

 Some of the French makers now advertise 

 extractors geared verj' high, and claim that 

 the combs can be extracted practically dry. 

 It is necessary to extract most of the honey 

 at a low speed first, and finish at the high- 

 er speed, otherwise the combs would be 

 broken. 



Special baskets should be made to hold 

 sections. It is often desirable to extract 

 the partially filled sections. 



Some discussion arose in these columns 

 on the way of putting wire in the frames. 



