AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi-. 



317 



week, we can extract without clangor of 

 throwing brood from the cells. 



Colonies built upon this plan will be- 

 come exceedingly strong, and we may 

 have occasion to add an extra box of ten 

 brood-combs. I have even been obliged 

 to build a few of them four stories high. 

 I have practiced this method for several 

 years in a yard of 50 colonies, without a 

 single natural swarm. 



The best results with the extractor, 

 are obtained after we have a good sup- 

 ply of combs. A full sheet of founda- 

 tion will make the most beautiful comb, 

 but is rather tender for the extractor ; 

 therefore, we must reserve as many of 

 the tough combs from the brood-cham- 

 ber as possible, and place frames of 

 foundation in their stead, but if we are 

 not careful the bees will make crooked 

 combs from foundation. 



We must place full sheets in the clus- 

 ter, where an equal force can work on 

 either side ; one year's use for brood puts 

 them in proper condition for the ex- 

 tractor. 



To have combs touch the bottom-bar 

 is certainly very desirable, and is best 

 accomplished by trimming off the lower 

 edge and then fitting in a strip of comb ; 

 patches of drone-comb can be replaced 

 with worker-comb in the same manner, 

 but these repaired combs must be given 

 to the bees at a time when honey is 

 coming in. 



Now, if all the amateurs and experts 

 would learn to extract at the proper 

 time — that is, when the honey is thor- 

 thoughly refined — there would be a de- 

 mand for the extracted-honey that would 

 exceed the present good demand for 

 comb-honey. 



One of our city editors asks why ex- 

 tracted-honey is not as good as the honey 

 that drips from the comb in a dish ; one 

 of our druggists complains that he pur- 

 chased a can of extracted-honey from a 

 farmer, and it soured. It is difficult for 

 a beginner to know just when the proper 

 time is to extract, because the seasons 

 vary. At times it is sufficiently ripe 

 without capping, and again it is unsafe 

 to extract before it is thoroughly cap- 

 ped. My test in this matter has been 

 that in shaking the bees from the combs, 

 if I could shake any honey from the 

 comb in the form of a spray, I would re- 

 turn that comb to the hive at once. 



With a new extractor, good, movable 

 frame hives, straight combs, queen-ex- 

 cluding honey-boards, a solar wax-ex- 

 tractor for an uncapping can, Italian 

 bees, and a complete outfit of handy im- 

 plements, it is not surprising that the 

 amateur wants to turn that extractor. 



Still, there are many that will not take 

 hold of the implements that have re- 

 duced bee-keeping to a science ; they 

 will not read our excellent bee-periodi- 

 cals, but still cling to the box-hives and 

 hybrids, and in turn the hybrids cling to 

 them. 



" How far can the ' let alone ' theory 

 be successfully adapted in bee-keeping," 

 was the title of an essay read before the 

 Society, by R. S. Russell, of Zionsville. 

 " All bees need care and management. 

 Two-thirds of the mortality and bad luck 

 in recent years, are traced to the door of 

 the 'tinkerer,' or farmer, or the careless 

 man. In regard to the wintering of bees, 

 for Canada and the Northern States, 

 small hives and cellars are safest; in our 

 own States, large hives, well packed, are 

 sufficient ; while in Southern States, the 

 ' let alone ' theory is well enough." 



Mr. Russell spoke at length in regard 

 to the "let alone" theory, which was 

 detrimental in nearly every case. "Suc- 

 cess in bee-culture means that you must 

 take care of them." 



Election of officers resulted as follows: 

 President, E. H. Collins, of Carmel ; 

 Vice-President, J. M. Hicks, of Indi- 

 anapolis ; Secretary, George C. Thomp- 

 son, of Southport ; Treasurer, Walter S. 

 Ponder, of Indianapolis. 



The following resolution was adopted : 



Resolved, That the Indiana bee-keep- 

 ers in session, indorse the principles of 

 the bill to be presented to the present 

 Legislature, now in session, entitled 

 " An act to promote agriculture, manu- 

 factures, science and art in the State of 

 Indiana, giving the different industrial 

 associations a right to elect one member 

 each. " — Tmllnna Farmer. 



Exclndersfor Com!) and Extracted-Honey 



JOHN H. MARTIN. 



Perforated metal (zinc), as we now use 

 it, was given to the public by the French 

 previous to 1875, but did not attract 

 much attention from bee-keepers until 

 after 1881. 



D. A. Jones first brought it to the at- 

 tention of bee-keepers by using it as an 

 entrance-guard and a queen-excluding 

 division-board. 



From its first introduction until the 

 present time, its use has been gradually 

 extending, until it has become an indis- 

 pensable adjunct to the bee-hive. 



There was not much advantage gained 

 in using it for a honey-board, by simply 

 laying a sheet of this metal between the 



