melter, which in some respects resembles the melters used by E. F. Atwater and F. A. Powers, of Parma, Idaho; but I introduced several improvements over these machines. I also made what I call "the Severin improved honey and wax separator," on which I worked three weeks before it was ready for use. My first experiment was made with a fivegallon honey - can, and then, after noting all of my failures and improvements, I had a tinner go ahead with such parts of the outfit as I could not make myself. Mr. George expects to adopt my new separator, and will have nine of them made this win

own.

In the first illustration a pile of dirt is seen at the extreme right of the view. This was thrown up to accommodate a two-ton tank sunk in the ground. The tank has a very heavy canvas cover to keep out the rain, supported by a pole, and raised like a tent over the three-inch galvanized pipe that runs from the extractor to the tank. In this way every thing is dirt and rain proof.

The extractor as shown in Fig. 2 is well bolted down, one inch above the level of the ground, the three-inch pipe referred to ex

tending from the bottom of the extractor to the tank in the ground. This gives all the convenience of an extractor on the ground, and avoids the inconvenience of having it elevated on a big box and then drawing the honey off into a pail, which has to be lifted high in the air to pour in a storage-tank. It does not take long to dig the hole in the ground for the tank; and if a fifty-case tank is used, it will hold all that is extracted. At one side a trench is dug down below the bottom of the storage tank for filling the cans. I leave one can slowly filling while I carry out a filled one, and then bring an empty one back. At one time when the honey was cold I let off 27 cases of two 60-lb. cans

each in two hours. Warm honey requires a longer time here in Imperial Valley.

The wax-melter (that I will describe in a later article) might be a little closer to the extractor than shown. Close to the melter is my separator referred to, which I will also describe at a later time. This melts the honey and cappings at a temperature of about 150 degrees, and a trough is made at one side and end to carry away the honey through the three-inch pipe that conveys the honey from the extractor to the tank. The gasoline-tank for the stove under the melter is located outside the honey-house. By having every thing conveniently arranged I save considerable time in walking while I am working. The wheelbarrow is only three feet from the extractor, and all I do is to step sidewise or back, and then turn to get more combs of honey. Every thing is within reach, and is low enough so I can work to advantage.

In the morning, when I am ready to extract, I go to the honey-house, lift off the melter, start the gasoline fire, then replace the melter, making sure that it is full of water. I then light the smoker and start off with the wheelbarrow after a load of honey. I first bring in a load of from four to six ten-frame supers that I have prepared the day before. This gives me so much to go on. The rest of the combs have to be brushed and shaken to get the bees off. Mr. George does not use excluders, nor can he use bee-escapes without excluders, the weath

er being too hot to permit it. Besides, the bees need all the ventilation which they can get directly, and the % entrances are enlarged one-half inch by little wooden blocks at each front corner between the bottomboard and hive body.

When I get my first load into the honeyhouse I uncap four combs, as the knives are not very hot yet. These I put in the extractor, throw the honey out of one side while I am uncapping two more combs, then reverse the baskets, and, while the machine is still spinning, uncap two more, which completes the four for the next load in the extractor. At this point I take out the four empty combs in the extractor, and put them in the super ready to receive them, then continue with the whole load in the same way. When I return with the next load, the first cappings are all melted, and the knives are good and hot for the rest of the day. After the second load, and from then on, the melter heats the cappings so fast that, when I get through with the last comb, it is nearly dry, so that I have to turn down the fire a little to keep it from boiling over. There is thus nothing to do except to bring in the honey, uncap it, and extract, all the honey, wax, and slumgum being taken care of safely and automatically.

The separator holds more wax than I can uncap in ten or eleven hours. I begin when every super is sealed two-thirds or quite full. My best day's work was when, without help,

I extracted 35 ten-frame supers of honey, getting, in the ten hours, 13 cases of honey and 15 lbs. of wax, or a little over one pound to the case. Mr. George averages 22 lbs. of wax to a ton of honey. We use eight combs in a ten-frame super, and uncap deep.

By the extractor in Fig. 2 will be noticed five large cakes of fine yellow marketable wax without a particle of dirt in it, just as it came from the separator. San Diego, Cal.

THE OUTSIDE WINTERING OF BEES.

BY R. F. HOLTERMANN.

At this date, Oct. 26, my bees have been in winter quarters, and ready for winter, for over three weeks, and I have for that length of time turned my back upon them and their care, perfectly confident that they need no further attention until April, unless a thaw should set in and the melting snow

turn to ice, preventing the bees getting air; and then arrangement has been made at each yard to remove the obstruction.

Some of the readers of GLEANINGS have wondered that I should be wintering my bees outside when a first-class bee-house costing $1000 is available.

WHY I WINTER OUTDOORS INSTEAD OF IN MY $1000 CELLAR.

When wintering in the above-named cellar my method was to remove the bees from the cellar and place them on stands. They were next taken to clover pasture, sometimes a distance of thirty miles. Next they were taken to buckwheat, and finally returned to the bee-yard in connection with the cellar.

By this method the hives and bees were unprotected during the spring, also in the autumn, until placed in winter quarters about Nov. 20. I was also compelled to be on hand when the cold weather began to moderate in spring, and there was always a good deal of anxiety as to the best time to set out, sometimes to find that, owing to conditions of weather, many bees had perished in their first flight, and others had drifted to the disadvantage of the weaker stocks.

Again, I had to be on hand in the autumn until about Nov. 20; and even after that, the outside doors required too intelligent and expert judgment to regulate to trust to inexperienced hands. The bees were thus often unprotected, which was injurious to them, not only in the spring but during cold damp days and nights in the fall of the year. In the spring, with low temperature, I have found the bees quiet and inactive, so that practically no enlargement of the broodspace was taking place when bees packed offered a strong contrast in their interior activity.

METHOD OF WINTERING.

As I now winter the bees shown in the illustrations in connection with this article, four twelve-frame Langstroth hives are wintered in an outer case; two hives are placed in the case side be side, and another two also side by side, but back to back with the first pair. This makes two sides of each hive have the best of winter protection-namely, the protection of other hives warm with bees.

The cases consist of a platform of halfinch boards nailed upon three cleats 1x4 inches, the two at each end being on edge, to give strength. The three cleats extend half an inch beyond the side of the platform, and are so arranged that the two at the ends project half their thickness beyond the ends of the floor-boards.

By this construction the half-inch siding lumber may extend down past the floor, and rest upon the half-inch projections all around, protecting all from lodging water and snow. The sides and ends of the case are made of tongue-and-groove material, 1⁄2 inch thick, 23 inches high, and therefore make a case deep enough to hold an extracting-super on top of each hive. This half

inch stuff is kept together and strengthened by a cleat on the inside, 1x2 inches, and half an inch shorter than the side or end is high, namely, 221⁄2 inches. These cleats come even with the top of the case, but are 1⁄2 inch short at the bottom, the object being to allow the side or end to extend the halfinch below the top of the platform, and rest on the end of the bottom cleats, as mentioned.

The cover of the case is made of half-inch material nailed at the ends to 1×21⁄2-inch cleats. These latter cleats extend down over the case. They strengthen the cover; and if the locality is windy they can be fastened to the case by means of hooks. The lumber is covered with roofing-paper nailed to the wood part of the cover, and made watertight by the judicious use of roofing cement. The cases, from the above description, will be seen to have a perfectly level or flat cover. They can be made to shed water by slightly raising one side of the case.

The bees go in and out through the case by means of %-inch round holes. Three are recommended, but I will confess I have found that size of entrance inadequate in the spring before removing from the case, as I leave the bees packed sometimes until clover is opening, having many supers on before removing from the case.

The case is set on blocks 8 to 12 in. high, one at each corner. This takes them above water and ice which may lie or form on the ground. There are no supports for the center cleat, as this is held up to the case by means of galvanized iron straps 6×1 inch, binding it to the siding. Considering the tendency to settle and heave, it would be practically impossible to support the case evenly at six points, and by using the above device it is unnecessary.

In making my cases I followed the directions of Mr. Jacob Alpaugh, as also in building the fences described below.

The colonies in their ten-frame hives are packed in leaves about one inch underneath; three inches in front, six inches at the sides, and about 10 inches on top. There must be a shallow air-space left between the leaves and under side of the cover, and some small openings to allow the air to circulate over the leaves and carry away the moisture which rises from the cluster below. This latter is very important, as it prevents moisture from condensing and freezing at the entrance in cold weather.

OUTSIDE PROTECTION.

No one not conversant with the matter can realize the advantage and comfort to be derived from a high fence about the apiary. The freedom from cold winds during the winter is of very great importance; and with an apiary of 100 colonies two seasons' use would amply pay the cost of a fence 8 feet high about the space needed for that many colonies. Then the comfort, during windy days, when working in the apiary, is great. In the Ebert yard I have a space 60 feet square for 40 winter cases (160 colonies), which is ample. Then there are large ap