BARRELS. 



36 



BARRELS. 



not be filled quite full. Just before ship- 

 ping put in a little more and then ship. We 

 have received several consignments of honey 

 that had candied, in barrels. The barrels 

 had been filled full, the honey had candied, 

 and burst the barrel. 



now TO TEST HAIiUELS FOR LEAKS. 



Jiarrels tliat are intended for the storage 

 of honey should not be kept in a cellar but 

 in a dry place. Before filling, the hoops 

 should be driven down tight all around. To 

 test for leakage, Mr. N. E. France, Platte- 

 vi]le,Wis., a bee keeper of large experience, 

 recommends the following plan : 



Drive one of the bimgs in, and then with 

 the mouth placed tightly over the other 

 bunghole blow in until there is quite a pres- 

 sure in the barrel. To do this, place the 

 mouth over the hole, exhaust the lungs, 

 draw in a fresh supply through the nose, ex- 

 haust the lungs again, and so on until you 

 have forced in all the air possible. Place 

 the side of the palm next to the mouth, then 

 with a quick sliding motion move the mouth 

 simultaneously with the palm, and close the 

 opening. Now listen for air-leaks. If there 

 are any, there will be a hissing in one or 

 more places. Dip the free hand into some 

 water, and push it along to where the air 

 seems to be hissing out. This will prove 

 beyond a doubt whether there is a leak at 

 that point. If there is one, there will be a 

 sputtering or bubbling. Note the place, and 

 then hunt for other leaks. But all this time , 

 of course, the palm of one hand should be 

 held over the bung through which the air 

 was forced. Wherever the air is found leak- 

 ing through, drive the hoops down still fur- 

 ther until the openings are closed. Then, 

 again, force air into the barrel and try for 

 leaks as before. 



Do not, under any circumstances, test a 

 barrel for leakage with water, as it soaks up 

 the wood, and the latter would swell up and 

 close the leak. After the honey is put into 

 the barrel it would absorb the water, and 

 the barrel would leak just at the time it 

 could be least afforded— when it would be 

 half way on its journey. 



THE NEED OF PARAFFINING OR WAXING 

 BARRELS. 



We are well aware that some of our best 

 honey-producers say it is not necessary to 

 wax or paraffine barrels inside ; but our ex- 

 perience shows that it is very important, 

 not so mucli so for the purpose of closing up 

 any possible leaks as to prevent the honey 

 from soaking into the wood of the barrel, 



or the wood itself from giving a taint to the 

 honey. The average person has little idea 

 of the amount of honey that can be soaked 

 up inside of an unwaxed barrel, and be 

 charged up to the shipper. After having 

 tested the barrel for leaks by the air-pres- 

 sure plan recommended, and made it tight, 

 wax or parafl^ne the inside of the barrel ; 

 but don't depend on the waxing to close up 

 the leaks— the barrel should be tight before. 



Paraffine, being a good deal cheaper than 

 beeswax, and melting at a lower tempera- 

 ture, is, therefore, to be recommended. Melt 

 up about 10 or 12 lbs.; and when quite hot 

 pour it through a large funnel into one 

 bunghole of the barrel. (Quickly drive in 

 the bimg, roll it around, twirl it on each 

 head ; then give it another spin so as to 

 cover perfectly all arovmd the chime. This 

 operation will warm the air inside to such 

 an extent that the liquid will be forced into 

 every crevice. As soon as the inside is cov- 

 ered, loosen the bung with a hammer; and 

 if the work is well done the bung will Ije 

 thrown into the air with a loud report. 

 Pour out the remaining liquid, warm it up 

 again, and treat the other barrels in a like 

 manner. 



The operation as a whole takes but very 

 little time ; and if one has taken pains to 

 make the barrel tight by the air-pressure 

 plan, the coating of paraffine on the inside 

 will make it doubly secure. Second-hand 

 barrels especially should be paraffined; and 

 even new barrels should be so treated to 

 prevent a great loss of honey that would 

 necessarily soak into the wood. Steel bar- 

 rels are not recommended. 



BARRELS OR SQUARE CANS. 



In California, Colorado, and other hot dry 

 States, barrels and kegs should never be 

 used. The ordinary (iO-pound tin cans, de- 

 scribed imder Extracted Honey, are the 

 only suitable shipping-packages. Indeed, 

 they are the only package that nine-tenths 

 of the bee-keepers of this land can use safe- 

 ly. While they cost considerably more per 

 pound, yet the honey is nearly always re- 

 ported as going through in good order. 

 Even if one has a hole punched in it, only 

 60 pounds of honey is lost ; while in the case 

 of a leak or break in a barrel, anywhere from 

 five to eight times that amount is wasted. 

 Through the entire West— and that is where 

 the great bulk of the extracted honey in the 

 United States is produced — the square tin 

 can, two in a case, is used exclusively ; and 

 Ave would strongly urge the average bee- 



