1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1151 



stand on, having au alighting- board of easy 

 incline for the bees; a sled the same height 

 as the stand, on to which can be pulled the 

 hive for moving to any other part of the 

 yard, or is convenient for many other uses 

 in the yard; also a box, with convenient han- 

 dle for carrying, containing smoker fuel and 

 compartment for tools, such as a strong tack- 

 puller for separating and lifting the ends of 

 frames — the best instrument for that purpose 

 as well as for many others that 1 have ever 

 seen. The screwdriver so many people use 

 and recommend bears no comparison for 

 convenience; a long wide thin-bladed spatu- 

 la, with one edge and end ground sharp for 

 cutting deep between combs if necessary, 

 and to remove burr-comb from top-bars. It 

 is so limber that it can be bent and pressed 

 flat on the top of frames, and will remove 

 comb from two frames at a time, and to me 

 it seems almost indispensable; a pair of sui"- 

 geon's scissors with curved blades, for clip- 

 ping queens' wings; a good pocket-knife and 

 a box of matches. A smoker I carry in my 

 hand or hang on the side of the box as may 

 seem convenient; also a scythe, lawn-mower, 

 and grass-sickle for keeping the grass cut 

 short. 



Now I want to describe one method (among 

 others) I have of getting bees out of section- 

 cases when removed from the hive, and 

 which I like very much. There is a table on 

 which may be placed several cases set on 

 edge or side; then a box made of thin stufif, 

 having a slit for an exit cut through the cen- 

 ter of the top covered with a row of wire- 

 cloth bee-escapes telescoped over the whole. 

 It is amusing to watch the bees hustle to get 

 out. This bee-escape as a queen-cell protec- 

 tor is the best thing to use to introduce a 

 queen-cell to a colony of bees that I have 

 ever tried or heard of, and they are compar- 

 atively inexpensive. I never have had a 

 mishap in their use for this purpose. It is 

 possible there are those who do not know 

 how these are made. Take a piece of wire 

 cloth 2^ to 3 inches square, and with a plug 

 that tits loosely a hole in a plank or board 

 H to 1^ inches in diameter push the cloth 

 through the hole. It will come out in a cone 

 form; then push a nail through the apex 

 from the inside and work it till the head of 

 the nail slips through and you have it com- 

 plete. 



For putting foundation into sections, have 

 both the Parker and Daisy fasteners. With 

 sections thoroughly dry, and the atmosphere 

 right for working wax, give me the Parker 

 by all odds. 



For cutting foundation I use something 

 like a miter-box with a carriage that slides 

 so that it may be cut any width desired, and 

 the spatula above described is used for the 

 purpose, often cutting 33 sheets at a time. 



For putting up frames I use a form very 

 similar to one described in Gleanings a 

 short time ago; and while some may think 

 su<^h an arrangement quite unnecessary I 

 like it very much, as every frame is true, 

 when nailed, as it's possible to be, and will 

 hang true in any properly constructed hive, 



which is not always the case when otherwise 

 made. Then, again, while in the form the 

 brads are driven, from which hooks are made 

 for wiring, with a pair of small round pliers, 

 at points designated on the form, so that all 

 are alike. The work is rapidly done, and 

 the completed work presents the evidence of 

 care and neatness that is pleasing to me. 



Horizontal wiring of frames is so unsatis- 

 factory that I've never used it. The method 

 I have adopted I've never seen described, 

 but was given me by a very worthy farmer 

 bee-keeper in Ohio, and to me it seems the 

 best I know of. No more wire— if as much 

 —is used as in hoi'izontal wiring, and there 

 is absolutely no sagging of the foundation. 

 I think, if Dr. Miller were to try this method, 

 he'd use no more wood splints. If I am pei'- 

 mitted to attend the next meeting of the 

 Chicago and Northwestern Association I shall 

 be pleased to take a frame of comb built on 

 foundation, thus wired, for exhibition. 



Nearly every person with 20 to 50 colonies 

 of bees does more or less extracting. From 

 my present experience I'd have an extractor, 

 even with not more than five colonies. I 

 think the Cowan reversible is considered as 

 good as any — if not the best. Mine is the 

 two-basket machine, and serves my purpose 

 well. For rendering the cappings and refuse 

 comb into wax the solar wax-extractor works 

 for nothing and boards itself. This pleases 

 me very much, for it seems coming nearer to 

 getting something for nothing than does any 

 other legitimate business that I know of. 

 There ai'e many other appliances, such as 

 frame boxes for use in examining colonies; 

 swarming-boxes, of which I have three; 

 drone-traps, etc., all of which are used in 

 most if not all bee-yards, but which it seems 

 unnecessary to describe in detail. 



Now, it may be said, "You have talked a 

 good deal but said little." I feel myself that 

 this is true; but one must remember that this 

 is an exhaustless subject, and one about 

 which hardly any two agree; and in talking 

 we ai'e apt to skip along here and there, and, 

 to some, seem to miss many important points. 

 Before I close, however, I wish to say a word 

 to beginners in bee-keeping. Do not buy 

 complicated hives and othtr apj^liances; do 

 not use different-sized hives, taking different 

 sizes of frames, if you can avoid it; do not 

 buy cheap matei'ial of any kind because it is 

 low in price. Buy standard goods of the 

 best quality for every thing needed in your 

 work, and do what you do in the very best 

 manner possible. This presupposes that you 

 have subscribed for at least two of the best 

 periodicals on bee-keeping, and that you are 

 the owner of as many works on the subject 

 by the best authors as you can affoi'd. With 

 such a beginning, if you like the work you 

 will succeed whether you get rich or remain 

 poor, for you will become an enthusiast and 

 possibly a crank. Come to one of our con- 

 ventions and listen. It will pay. 



In conclusion with much hesitation I wish 

 to refer to one other matter (though it may 

 seem far-fetched) as an appliance to further 

 the interests of special bee-keeping, and which 



