1566 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15 



something that would have to be driven by 

 steam. Well, after 1 had been put through 

 the "mill " for another hour or two I prom- 

 ised to develop the idea when I arrived home. 



Some days later I called on Mr. J. F. Mc- 

 Intyre and saw how easily he propelled his 

 extractor with a little water-motor, and this 

 made me the more anxious to develop the 

 idea. But it took longer than I svipposed; 

 and Mr. Mendleson, becoming impatient at 

 the delay, finally worked out a scheme of his 

 own, using a gasoline engine with an over- 

 head countershaft, etc. 



His arrangement will be seen in the large 

 engraving (Fig. 3) showing the interior of 

 the extracting-house. I judge from what 

 I can see that he uses a water-cooled gaso- 

 line-engine to drive an eight-frame extractor. 

 With this outfit he is able, doubtless, to dis- 

 pense with the services of one man, and I am 



impossible to do the work of uncapping when 

 I was there had it not been for heating the 

 knives in hot water; for the sage honey 

 which he was then extracting was very thick. 

 Just back of the knife-heater, to the right 

 of the extractor (Fig. 3), is a large galvanized 

 uncapping-box. Without going into details 

 1 may state that this outfit not only receives 

 the cappings but melts them up as fast as 

 they drop down, the wax and honey running 

 out together. At the end of a day's extract- 

 ing, there will be no accumulation of cap- 

 pings, but a layer of wax and a layer of hon- 

 ey. Just how Mr. Mendleson melts these 

 cappings I am not at liberty to divulge just 

 now; but 1 may state in this connection that 

 two or three California bee-keepers have been 

 working on a similar plan. One or two have 

 applied for patents. Just who will secure 

 Uncle Sam's protection it is hard just now 



FIG. 2. — MENDLESON'S RATTLESNAKE APIARY. 



of the opinion it has already paid for itself, 

 and that he now has a power outfit good for 

 ten or perhaps twenty years, ready to work 

 for nothing and board itself except for a few 

 quarts of gasoline and a little lubricating oil. 



But the picture shows something else. In 

 the foreground between the engine and ex- 

 tractor appear to be some metal comb-cases 

 (with tight-closing lids to keep out robbers) 

 in which combs are gathered and brought 

 into the extracting-house. 



A little to the right, again, will be seen the 

 uncapping-knife heater, the same being kept 

 warm by means of a gasoline-burner 



When I visited Mr. Mendleson he had the 

 same arrangement except that the pan was 

 not covered; but, instead of a gasoline-burn- 

 er he used a small kerosene-stove if I remem- 

 ber rightly. It would have been practically 



to say; but I am convinced that the plan of 

 melting cappings as fast as they fall from the 

 knife is perfectly feasible; and it is probable 

 that in California, at least, the general prin- 

 ciple will become universal in all up-to-date 

 extracting-houses. 



Referring again to the power-driven ex- 

 tractor, I may say that the Root Company's 

 development of this principle was due to the 

 suggestions received from Mr. Mendleson 

 and Mr. Mclntyre; and now the power-driv- 

 en idea is getting to be quite general with 

 large extracted-honey producers. In every 

 case but one, so far as I know, a small gaso- 

 line-engine is used to furnish the power. Mr. 

 Mclntyre uses a water-motor; and when wa- 

 ter under pressure is available it is probably 

 the nicest and cheapest power. An electric 

 motor would, of course, be excellent; but it 



