Root Company's Page. 



SiJilMs Versus Ttiuiiliscrcv/s and Mm. 



It seems to be generally admitted that a means 

 for producing compression on sections when in the 

 snper is desirable, and some go so far as to say it 

 is a necessity. I f sections and separators are pla- 

 ced in supers loosely, it leaves little interstices or 

 spaces that the bees fill with propolis. Various 

 devices have been \ised to bring about the desired 

 pressure. Some prefer and use thumbscrews: 

 others, wedges; and still others, tightening-strips. 

 Thumbscrews stick out in the way: and sonietimcs 

 in damp weather Ijecome stuck fa.st in the holes. 

 Wedges are very often propolized fast, making 

 it difficult to remove them. The same objection 

 applies to tightening-.strips, although to a less 

 extent. We now use two or three springs iti our 

 1S99 supers, one at each end, and V)earing against 

 the fences, and one in the center. See S in the 

 fUt below. 



The.se springs produce a gentle, even pressure 

 against the contents of the supers: and, no mat- 

 ter how much the weather changes, causing the 

 stuff to shrink or swell, those springs will adapt 

 themselves to the condition, producing always a 

 gentle yet firm pressure. After the sections are 

 filled they can l)e easily taken out, owing to the 

 fact that there is a viklding pressure: and pro- 

 polis—well, it has no show. 



The mannerof applying the .spring compres- 

 sion to the supers is shown in the accompanying 

 illustrations. X is a curved piece of steel wire, 

 one end of which is bent at a right angle, and 

 sharpened. This is driven into the wood at a 

 point that will come opposite the end cleat of the 

 fence when in the super. After this is driven in, 

 the other end is pounded down into the wood, 



making a sort of groove for the end H to silde in. 

 Three such springs are used in u\ir regular super 

 —two to come directly opposite the end-cleats of 

 the fence: and one opposite the center cleat as at 

 I), showing siiper side detached. On the oppo- 

 site super side, and spaced in the same manner, 

 are nailed three thin cleats, supplied with each 

 package. These are to keep the outside fence a 

 bee-space from the super side, about the same 

 distance away as the springs do on the oppo.site 

 side. We put in enough fences so that we have a 

 fence bet ueen each outside row and super side. 

 It costs a little more, it is true: but it carries out 

 in effect the I'ettit idea, or what he calls his divid- 

 er— a method bv which it is said the outside 



faces of the outside rows of .sections are as well 

 filled out as the faces in the central rows. Re- 

 ports from l)ee-keepers last season go to show 

 that there is a good deal in this little scheme, and 

 if so it mav be worth dollars. 



The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio. 



