SUPPLEMENT TO GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apb. 



capped cells ; to do this quickly you will slide tlie 

 knife under ttie caps in such a way as to have them 

 come oil' in one entire sheet. In regard to straining 

 the honey, we know ol no way that answers so well, 

 all thircs considered, as to liang the little bag sent 

 with the machine, in the bung of the barrel ; this 

 keeps it all close and tiglit from flies and dust, and 

 when you stop work for a little while, it is all safe, 

 without the necessity of covering anything up. Two 

 sucli bags are really "needed, so that one can be kept 

 cl«an antl ready to take the place ol the other when it 

 becomes lilleu witli impurities. As the sediment al- 

 ways settles to the bottom of the bag, the sides work 

 well as a strainer for a long time. Cloth strains honey 

 more perfectly than the finest wire cloth can. AVhen 

 the comb is uncapped it is to be placed in the Extrac- 

 tor; although you can extract < ne comb at a time if 

 you choose, it is much better to have two, as they 

 then balance eacii other, and the friction is less on the 

 bearings, tliougli our machines will stand the strain 

 of the lieaviest combs, one at a time, if need be. Turn 

 iust fast enough (and no faster) to throw out the hon- 

 ey, and there will be no danger of throwing out the 

 brood; you will soon learn this by practice. Combs 

 so full of brood that there is but little room for honey 

 had better be left in the hive; there is little to be 

 gained by working very close, and should the honey 

 season suddenly close, there is danger of the bees 

 starving, as we have known them to do, even in July. 



If your hives are kejtt close to the ground, and no 

 weeds allowed to grow around the entrances, there is 

 very little danger of losing queens while extracting; 

 yet it is a very good plan to keep them carefully in 

 mind, and if you should not see them, we think it 

 a little safei- to shake the combs that contain much 

 brood, so that the bees fall directly into the hive. 

 loosing queens while extracting is rather expensive 

 business. 



After the honey is taken from one side of the comb 

 it is of course, to be turned, and the honey taken from 

 the other side. Where the combs are very heavy and 

 the honey very thick, it may be best to throw it out 

 only iiariially "the first time, and then reverse, to avoid 

 crushing the comb into the wire cloth by the great 

 centrifugal force resulting from s\ich a weight mov- 

 ing at a rapid speed. 



It mat be there are valuable features found in the 12 or 

 IS dollar Extractors, not found in our own, but if such is 

 the case, we are unable to appreciate them. AVe have 

 added every improvement suggested that we thought 

 would prove valuable, all things considered, and yet we 

 tind no great dilliculty in furnishing them all crated and 

 ready to ship, for the prices named. Any one who has 

 carefully studied the m:i,tt('r will see that to make a ma- 

 chine cai)al)lL' of rei-i'i\ iiig four combs instead of two, will 

 require an iiierease in s-ize and weight, without very mate- 

 rially aiding in rapidity of work, among the masses. Re- 

 versing the combs inside the can, making the inside frame 

 thre« -cornered, running the machine by gearing or belts 

 placed under the bottom, etc., etc., have all had their ad- 

 vocates, but we think have generally been, after a time, 

 discarded like the rmolving cans. Our friends win rest 

 .assured, that we shall spare no pains in promptly adopting 

 any real improvement that may come up. Please do tell 

 the dimensions ol tht? frame or frames you use, in order- 



SMPtiEMElVTS, ETC., F«K THE APIARY. 



SPltING BALANCK, 



Is shown at No. 15, on the cover, a nice article... ?8 0(1 

 These scales are maflo weather proof, and when ar- 

 ranged to suspend a moderate sized colony, may be 

 left out all summer; as the ligureson the dial are large 

 and ))laiu, we can sec at a oistance the average yield 

 of honey per stocU, each day or hour even ; when 

 weighing stocks lor winter, ihey shorten the work 

 very materially. 



IJEES. 



I suppose we might give you . a picture of our bees, 

 but as they would probably look much like those bo- 

 longing to other folks, wc iliink we will not. When 

 wc sell a colony, we give them ten gond <'ombs, and if 

 they are sent iti a ohaflf hivo, wc furnish the upiser 

 atorv for com'> or cMracted honey, or for both, as may 

 be desired. We understand by a tested (jiiecn, (ini; 

 that produces three-banded workers, reared from an 

 imported mother. Soii.e say they may not be ))ure 

 even then. I'frhajis siujh is the tact, but it. U the iiest 

 we can do. If you want to be sure of absolute purity. 

 perhai>s yon had better send for an im)iotted queen. 

 We wil: send one for.ST.W), or will send a colony con- 

 taiiUng one for an uddiiioa of i:>M\ lo tlie iniccsgtven 



in every No. of Gleanings. This will make a colony 

 of bees with an Imported queen for only $1-2.00. Isn't 

 that liberal ? 



UARRELS FOU EXTRACTEl* HONEV. 



■ These are made of the best white oak, and are made 

 under the supervision of a practical bee-keeper. 

 They are often used without waxing, but as there is 

 always a liability to leak, we prefer having them well 

 coated inside with parafline. To do this, the barrel 

 should be made moderately warm by standing it in 

 the sun, or in a warm room for several liours. Melt 4 

 or 5 lbs. of parafline, and pour it in the bung-hole 

 through a tunnel : quickly drive in thcbnng, and then 

 roll the barrel about until every spot is coaU d. If yovi 

 do not got it to touch every spot, your labor is very 

 likely all in vain. If well done, the bung should fly 

 out with a pop ; pour out the remaining parafline, and 

 your V)arrel is all right. The paraffineismuch cheaper 

 and it coats the barrel better than wax, because it is 

 less dense; it also takes a less quantity to coat the 

 whole inside perfectly. It is not necessary to paint 

 them, but thev, like everything else, are mire durable 

 if kept painted. Plain barrel, 82.50; waxed, S3.00; 

 waxed and i)ainted, $;5 50. 



Caution.— A mixture ot wax and rosin was at one time 

 recommended, but the rosin is sure to taint the honey in 

 time, and we have now on hand quite a lot of fine clover 

 honey that will scarcely bring half price on this account. 



COMI? FOUNDATION, OK AKTIFICIAL HONEY-COMB. 



Those who are still doubtful about the value of this 

 new article of manufacture for the a])iary, had better 

 get a small piece and try it for themselves, or try a 

 single section box, vvhich we send by mail for 5c. 

 Abundant testimony Irom honey producers— not the- 

 orists— have, we think, luUy decided the follotving 

 points. Comb honey l)uilt on Idn. of pure yellow 

 wax. is so nearly like that built naturally, that no one 

 would ever notice the difference ; brood combs built 

 on it are entirely free from drone comb, are straight 

 and true, and contain considerably more brood in the 

 same space than natural worker comb, on account of 

 their mathematical accuracy. With i)ure yellow wax, 

 we have no fear of any serious troubles in sagging and 

 stretching, but with i)araftine, ceresin and all «om- 

 pounds it has been our fortune to experiment with, 

 there is trouble invariably, and even a very small tiro- 

 portion of these substances added to the wax injures 

 it in this respect. Pure white bleached wax looks 

 pretty, but so far as we can learn is no r)etter in any 

 respect than the pure yellow ; it is considerably harder 

 than the yellow, and it is therefore worked slower; 

 it is also much more li'rible to give comb honey with 

 thick bottoms to the cells. During a good yield of 

 honey a sheet of fdn. will be built out so as to contain 

 eggs and honey in 24 hours, and you can easily prove 

 that the wax used is that furnished by the fdn. itself 

 by weighing the sheet both before and after it is 

 drawn up into comb ; you can also have comb made 

 from fdn. of colored wax, and it will be observed that 

 the color is seen to the tops of the cells. Also, if we 

 give the bees a piece of fdn. unusually thick, they 

 will use the surplus was to build comb (juite a distance 

 below the jiiece of fdn. We are prepared to furnish 

 both white and yellow ; but at this date we are in- 

 clined to think the white will be little used, for the 

 reason mentioned. For prices, and price list of ma- 

 chines for making the fdn., see last No. of Glean- 

 ings. 



nONET KNITES. 



We ARE frequently asked why onr honey knives are 

 §1.00, vvhen good ones are offered for .'iO cents each. It (s 

 true that a liuiuy kuife will answer about as well for un- 

 capping when iiiaile with a lilado about half the length of 

 ours, and it will also ivork as well put hastily into a cheap 

 wooden hatidlu, as if juit into one made of solid ebony 

 nicely feruled, like our own. Do you know that you often 

 take belter care of a smooth, nicely Jinished tool, than you 

 do of a I'ough cheap one ? Again, ^■ery often during the 

 Gxtractiiig season, you will need a thiu-b)aded knife long 

 enough to reach clear down to the bottom of the hive; 

 this ours will do, and it is m.ado so thin, and of such tine 

 steel, that it will spring into a straight- bladed knife with 

 slight pressure, and without injury. Crooked pointed 

 ki'ivcs. it seemsto us. are a great blunder, and we have 

 tried in vain to use one ; a knife like ours, that is sharpen 

 both edges, atid also on its rounded point, oilers every 

 facility, we think, for nneapping all sunken places in the 

 combs. Some of our California friends have asked for 

 knives Iku inn a sli'.;;ht curve the whole length of the 

 blade, and we llnd this curve can be given any iliiii-bladed 

 ktdfe, bv simply s;)riuging it with the fingers, uting a 

 elotli to'prevent being cut. Should you afterwards want 

 it strciuht, the curve can be taken ous in the same way. 



