216 AgricuUmal Gazette of N.S.W. [Mar. 2, 1920- 



Hints on Extracting. 



1. Leave one frame short in the supers, and space the remainder eveiilv 

 so that you will get well-lilled combs that are easy to uncap. This, when 

 the combs are cut down to normal, will j^ive fair wax production. 



2. Have the material . in the extracting room placed conveniently. If 

 possible, liave the extractor elevated so that the honey wuU gravitate to the- 

 tank direct ; if the ground is on the incline, thi« can easily be carried out. 



3. Do not interchange combs during extracting until you feel you are a 

 competent judge of brood disease. Do not induce robbing by extracting 

 in the o])cn or leaving honey accessible to the bees, for disease is often, 

 spread in this manner. 



4. Lengthen the life of your combs by careful handling, uncapping, and 

 extracting. Learn to work quickly and yet do things right. 



A Dry 1''orm or Lime-sulphur. 



An interesting preparation under the name of "B.T.S."' has been manu- 

 factured and sold as a dry form of linie-sulpbur to be used in all eases, 

 where lime-sulphur sprajung is desired. On examination the preparation 

 appears to be barium tetra sulphide, and of about 88 per cent, purity. 



It is I'l'comniended by the manufacturers that the powder be used at the- 

 rate of 1 2 to 14 lb. per 50 gallons water for spraying dormant trees, and at 

 the rate of 1 to 4 lb. per 50 gallons water for trees in foliage. The former 

 .strength corresponds to 2394 to 27'94 grams per 1,000 c.c.,and the latter 

 str.>ngtli corresponds to 2"00 to 7*98 grams per 1,000 c.c. 



Mixtures were made in the laboratory containing 26 grams per 1,000 e.c.^ 

 and also 5 grams per 1,000 c.c. After shaking for the prescribed time with 

 water, a chemieal analysis was made of the two mixtures, and the following 

 figures represent the results obtained, expressed as grams per 1,000 c.c: — 



26 grams to i> grams to 



1,000 c.c. 1,000 c.c. 



Moiio.sulphide sulphur 4046 0-43-2 



Thiosulph.nte ,, 0-732 0-313 



Sulpliale and sulphite sulphur ... 0-068 ()(»-2 > 



Polysulphide sulphur ... ... ... 6-409 1-42-i 



Total Sulphur 11-255 2-1.94 



That decomposition has taken place in tlie more dilute solution is shown by 

 tlie above figures, for hml no decomposition taken place otiier than occurs in 

 the 26 grams to 1,000 c.e. strength then the grams to 1,000 c.c. mixture 

 sliould have given the following figures : — 



Monosulphide sulphur .. ... ... ... ... 0-578 



Thiosnipliale ,, ... ... .. ... ... 0141 



Sul[)hate and sulphite sulphur .. ... ... ... 0"013 



Polysuljihidc sulphur 1-233 



Total Sulpliur 2-164 



There is evidently greater decomposition in tlu> wcnker strength than in 

 tlie higher strength, and it is also prol)able ttiat tl.c Irnglli of time the 

 solutions are left standing might also affect the results obiaiiicd in 

 spraying in the field. — A. A. liAMSAY, Principal Assistant Chemist. 



