746 Journal of AgriciiUurc , Victoria. [10 Nov., 191 1- 



When inserting uncapped combs into the extractor, or withdrawing 

 empty ones, they should not be dragged along the wire screen or the cells 

 will become burred, causing unnecessary work for the bees and preventing 

 the honey coming completely away from the cells. This bruising of the 

 cells will also occur in uncapping the combs when the honey-knife is 

 blunt and the combs tough. An uncapping knife should be as sharp as a 

 razor. 



It should lie borne in mind that the smaller the diameter of the 

 extractor, the more likely are the combs to fracture; also, that a small 

 extractor must be revolved faster than a larger one. The honey is thrown 

 cut of the cells by centrifugal force. As this acts from the centre, 

 radiating in all directions, the further the combs are from the centre the 

 less tearing strain there is (,n them and the less speed is required at tht- 

 driving shaft. 



In large apiaries, four-comb automatic reversible extractors are used 

 in some instances, and are driven by motor power. For apiaries of up 

 to 100 colonies of bees, the Cowan 2-frame reversible (Fig. i) is, how- 

 ever, quite sufficient. The comb baskets are hinged, and when one side of 

 the com'bs has been extracted, the machine is stopped and the baskets 

 swung round by hand. 



When onlv a few hives are kept, the Xo\-ice extractor (Fig. 2) will 

 answer the requirements. In this, there are no comb-baskets ; the un- 

 capped combs are placed against the wire screen of the cage. To reverse 

 the combs they must be lifted out of the extractor, turned, and put back. 

 The difference in the price of the two machines is small, the Cowan 

 2-frame costing los. to 12s. 6d. more than the Novice. To any one com- 

 mencing bee-keeping, with the intention of graduallv increasing the number 

 of hives. I would recommend that the 2-frame reversible be obtained in 

 the first instance. 



A SCALE IXSECT DESTRUCTIVE TO CITRUS TREES. 



Olive Scale {Lccaiiiiiiu ohv. Bern-) 



C. French, juii., Aciiiig Goreniiiieiit Eiitornologist. 



The Olive Scale is one of the principal pests affecting citrus trees. 

 It causes much damage and is liable to attack almost any kind of plant. 

 Orange and lemon trees are sometimes smothered with the well known 

 Sooty Alould, a fungus caused by the sugary secretion from the scale 

 insects which closes the pores of the leaves. 



Life History. 

 The colour of the covering of the young scales is light brown, some- 

 times yellowish, and when fully matured is a dark brown or almost black. 

 The number of eggs laid by each female varies from 200 to 250 ; they 

 are of a light yellow colour, the young insects being of the same colour. 

 When fullv matured, the female occupies almost all the space under the 

 covering, but when she begins tC' deposit her eggs she becomes smaller and 

 smaller until she withers completely away. 



Parasites. 

 Fortunately, this scale is liable to the attacks of small parasitic wasps 

 and other insects which destrov a great number of the eggs. When in the 



