1877. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



The following table is for the coiiTenlence of those 

 ordering ninchlnes, and is intended to enable any one 

 to decide for himsclt exactly what he can use to the 

 best advantage. 



FRici: usT or hxtractors. 



[The figures in parentheses, just before the prices, 

 give the exact inside width of the revolving frame of 

 tlie Extractor, in inches.} 



A honey knife is Included with each machine; the 

 price will be 8l.()0 less if no knife is wanted. 

 No. 1.— For the Gallup frame, or any frame Hi 



inches wide and not more than ]2i deep.. (12) 88 50 

 So. 2.— For the American frame, or any one 12 



inches wide and not more than 12i deep. (12^) 8 75 

 No. 3.— For anv frame 12^ inches wide and not 



more than vik deep (13) 9 00 



No. 4. For the Adair Irame or any frame. 13J 



wide and not more than 12i deep (U}) 9 00 



The above are all in shallow cans, I7i inches high, 

 and are verv convenient for placing at such a height 

 as to allow of running the honey directly into the bar- 

 rel or any other receptacle, and still not too higli 

 tor any one to work conveniently. The following 

 numbei-s can also be used in the same way, unless the 

 operator is short In stature; in that case, a shallow 

 Ijox may be inverted to stand on, but is somewhat in- 

 convenient. 



Ko. 5. This is made expressly for the Lang- 

 stroth frame, which is to be used standing on 

 end: it will take any frame whose top bar 

 does not exceed 20 inches, and depth itX 



inches (lO) 89 00 



No. 0. The same excei)t that it will take a frame 



oiU^ inches In depth (11) 9. 50 



No. 7. This is made expressly for the Quinby 

 suspended frame, and will take also the other 

 kind when the end bars have a depth not 



greater than IIM inches (12) 10 (X) 



No. 8. This is for all Quinby Irames. and all 

 American trameo having a depth greater than 

 12 X inches, and can be used for all the frames 

 in our diagram, but i» much more inconvenient 

 than the smaller ones where they can be 



used (12>2-) 10 00 



No. 9. This machine is like No. 8, except that it 

 takes a frame ^ inch wider, and is suitable for 

 American frames that are 12^ wide and more 



thanl2>i inches deep (13)10 00 



No. 10. This is the largest machine that we 

 keep in stock, and will take a frame as wide 

 ~ as the Adair, and as long as the Quin- 

 by {UK) 10 00 



For frames having a top bar with an extreme length 

 <jf more than iO inches, we shall have to make an extra 

 charge of Si 00, and we shall have to make the same 

 extra charge for frames that exceed 14 inches the nar- 

 rowest way. There are fevMrames of such extreme 

 large size in use, yet we sold perhaps a dozen such last 

 %eason. Also, we tind a few who insist on an txtractor 

 that will hold 4 frames at once ; unless the frames are 

 ' very small, we cannot think such will be liked as well, 

 yetwe will lurnish them v. lien desired, at an expense 

 of .?1..W extra. If you look into tlie matter, you will 

 see that a very much larger ami heavier revolving 

 frame will be needed, and every ounce in weight ad- 

 ded to this, hinders rapid work. 



Any of the above will be made with the wire cloth in a 

 slanting posit ion, for Sl.OO extra, butwe do not consider 

 it of any especial advantage. 



All of the last six— tall cans— have a support at the 

 bottom for the frames to rest upon, and also to hold 

 broken pieces of comb, should it be desired. The four 

 first have nothing of this kind, for it is not needed, 

 and would in reality only make them heavier, and be 

 in tlie way; we advise purchasers always to take the 

 smaller m?chines when they will take their frames. 

 For instance, we would much prefer the No. 4, to the 

 No. 10. even if offered at the same price, provided we 

 had nothirg but the Adair frame in our apiary. 



Although our machines are now made much lighter 

 and stronger, the gearing very much improved in 

 looks as well as in strength, an improvement added 

 whereby once oiling will last for years, a cover and 

 strainer added, and the prices reduced, yet we will 

 make the proposal that we will, to anyone, who has 

 purchased one machine, give 10 per cent off" on all he 

 may sell after that; and this is all we can do in the 

 way of furnishing them at wholesale. To dealars who 

 advertise fiur Extractors, we will give 25 per cent ofl'. 

 This offer refers only to Extractors and honey knives. 

 It may be there are valuable features found in the hitr1\ 

 priced Extractors, not found in our own, but if such is the 

 case, we are unable to appreciate them. We have added 



every improvement suggested that we thought would 

 prove valuable, all things considered, and yet we find no 

 t'lfut dilliculty in furnishing them all crated and ready to 

 sliiii, for tlu; price named. Any one who has carefully 

 studied tlif matter will st'i; that to make a msichine capa- 

 ble of receiving four combs instead of two, will require an 

 iiK n;iNe iii M/.e and weight, without very materially aid- 

 ing in rujiidity of work, among the masses. Keversing the 

 CHjuibs inside the can, making the inside frame three-corn- 

 ered, running the nuichine by gearing or belts placed un- 

 der the bottom, etc., etc.. have all had their advocates, 

 but we think have generally been, at;er a time, discarded 

 like the revolving cans. Our friends can rest assurid, that 

 we shall s))are no pains in promptly adopting any real im- 

 I)rovement that may come up. Please do tell the diiuen- 

 sions of the frame or frames you use, in ordering. 



Any kind of a machine that revolves the honey after 

 it is thrown out of the comb, or that revolves tin cans 

 with the combs, is a 7iiost serious bhinder, as you will 

 see by trying both kinds. 



INSTKUCTIONS FOR USING AN EXTRACTOR. 



Many of our new friends have asked for directions 

 for using these machines, but really they are so sim- 

 ple, that it seems little advice need be required. 

 They are all ready for use when received, and most 

 that" is required is to screw them last to some box or 

 bench just high enough to allow the gate to run the 

 honey into the bung-hole of a barrel. Do noi; under- 

 take to work unless the bees are gathering honey, or 

 you will be very likely to have troul>le. The best 

 time is when they are busy in the fields, and if the 

 yield is good, you will hardly need any smoke. Care- 

 fully remove a frame from the hive, and then with a 

 series of sudden jerks shake the bees in front of the 

 hive or on top of the frames, as you may lind most 

 convenient. When vou have shaken ofl" as many as 

 you can, take a bunch of asparagus tops, and gently 

 brush off" every bee in front of the hive. Now with 

 the honey knife carefully cut the cappings from all 

 capped cells: to do this quickly you will slide the 

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

 come off in one entire sheet. In regard to straining 

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

 all things considered, as to hang the little bag sent 

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

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

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

 without the necessity of covering anything up. Two 

 such bags are really needed, so that one can be kept 

 clean and ready to take the place ol the other when It 

 becomes filled with impurities. As the seoiment al- 

 ways settles to the bottom ot the bag. the sides work 

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

 more perfectly than the finest w ire cioth can. When 

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

 tor; although you can extract one comb at a time If 

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

 then balance each other, and the friction is lees on the 

 bearings, though our machines will stand the strain 

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

 just 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 bv practice. Combs so 

 full of brood that there is but little room If r honey had 

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

 by woi king 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. 



Oh this account I would extract from the frames 

 in the upper story only, after the bees get once well into 

 them. 



If your hives are kept 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 safer to shake the combs that contain much 

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

 Losing queens while extracting is rather expensive 

 business. 



After the honey is taken from one side of the comb 

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

 the other side. When the combs are very heavy and 

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

 only partially.the first time, and then reverse, to avoid 

 crushing the comb into the wire cloth by the great 

 centrifugal force resulting from such a weight moving 

 at a rapiil speed. 



rOOT-FOWER BUZZ-SAWS. 



These machines are very handy in the apiary indeed, 

 and as we warrant them to cut common inch pine 

 boards at the rate of 8 feet per minute, line measure, 

 and other thicknesses in proportion, they will answer 

 to make frame? , hives, section boxes, and almostevery 



