810 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



arranged tliat tliey can be made very clieap- 

 ly. We will try to have an eneravinj? of 

 them made for our next issue. AVe shall be 

 glad of a report of the result of your experi- 

 ments in winterinti. 



SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTORS. 



ALSO SOVETHl.NG ABOUT POISONOUS HONEY. 



fUE subject of solar wax extractors has ex- 

 cited considerable attention ainonjr bee- 

 keepers during- the past jear or two. Every- 

 body who has tried one seems enthusiastic 

 over them. I made myself one last August 

 while I was waiting- for that honey to come that 

 never g-ot here, and I would not want to do without 

 it for several times its cost. We had very little hot 

 weather after I got it finished, but it worked to a 

 charm, and proved to me beyond doubt, that, dur- 

 ing ordinary summer weather, wax can bo made by 

 it with far less time, worry, and muss, than by or- 

 dinary means; and, what is more, the wax made is 

 of the finest and most uniform quality, and there 

 is not the slightest danger of scorching or other- 

 wise spoiling it in the making. Moreover, when 

 making wa.v from cappings (which was my princi- 

 pal purpose in making mine), a large amount of 

 honey is saved that would he wasted by most other 

 methods. 



My extractor consists of a V-shaped tin trough, 

 30X24, and 8 inches deep, cased in a wooden box. 

 To the top of this bo.x is hinged a sash, holding two 

 sheets of glass, each the whole size of the top, sepa- 

 rated by a ?i-inch space. Over the whole is hinged a 

 cover, which is lined with bright tin; and a light 

 board, 20 X 24, is also covered on one side with 

 brig-ht tin. These tin surfaces are for reflectors. 



The comb to be melted is placed on a sheet of per- 

 forated zinc resting on the sides of the trough, 

 about 3 inches below the glass. When in use, the 

 cover is raised at right angles to the glass, and held 

 in that position by the reflector-board, which is 

 provided with hooks for that purpose, and is 

 placed in the angle between sash and cover. In 

 the morning it is placed on the west side, and at 

 noon changed to the east side. When the extractor 

 is not in use, this board is laid on top of the sash, 

 and the cover closed down over it. You will see 

 that there is a large reflecting surface throwing 

 heat into the extractor, besides that given bj- the 

 direct rays of the sun, while the double glass re- 

 tains this heat. Before using the reflectors I found 

 that, on a warm day, a thermometer inside regis- 

 tered 60° higher than one outside; and after I put 

 them on I noticed a temperature of 210° inside one 

 day. We shall probably use it to bake bread, roast 

 meat, etc., next summer. You may be sure that 

 such a temperature melts down the comb very fast. 

 Several lots can be melted down in the course of a 

 day. The wax and honey drip down through the 

 perforated zinc, below which there is considerable 

 space. When the weather is not hot, the wax docs 

 not form in a solid cake, as it is shaded by the zinc. 

 When the lower part is full, take out the zinc, when 

 the wa.x can be easily mpltcd, and, if desired, kept 

 in a melted condition all day without disturbance, 

 thus perfectly purifying- the wax. The honej' is 

 drawn off through a tube in the bottom. I am sat- 

 isfied that a single thickness of glass will answer, 

 although it should bo large enough to cover the 



whole top, as the shadow made by a cross-bar would 

 prevent the melting of a part of the comb. It 

 would be best to have the reflectors of cheap look- 

 ing-glass, instead of tin, as tin will soon tarnish and 

 rust. 



You say, on pag-e 77.5, that it seems to you aston- 

 ishing that the heat of the sun alone should melt 

 beeswax. Did you never notice that a piece of wax, 

 laid on top of a hive, especially if dark colored, on a 

 hot day would very soon melt and run? A large 

 part of the heat of sunshine is latent, and we must 

 imprison it and change it to sensible heat, to be 

 aware of even a part of the tremendous power con- 

 cealed In a sunbeam. 



POISONOUS HONEV. 



The subject of poisonous honey, which has at- 

 tracted some discussion lately, is of somewhat more 

 importance to the bee-keeper than it may seem at 

 first thought. The bee-keeper needs to understand 

 the subject thoroughly, in order that he may be 

 able to successfully combat popular prejudice. 

 That such prejudice often exists, is undoubted. 

 Many are of the opinion that certain kinds of honey 

 are poisonous. Others think there are some persons 

 to whom all honey is poisonous. Many are inclined 

 to place great credence in newspaper accounts of 

 poisonous honey, and refrain from the use of all 

 honey in consequence. 



By the way, it is a little curious the way the non- 

 bee-keeping public regard and treat our industry. 

 Five hundred deaths from any one of the num- 

 berless common accidents of life would hardly 

 cause as much newspaper comment as a single 

 death from a bee-sting-. I believe it is a fact, that 

 people are more easily prejudiced against bee- 

 keeping than almost any other occupation. People 

 have been dosed so often with newspaper articles 

 in reg-ard to the adulteration and poisonous qual- 

 ities of sugar, syrup, canned fruits, etc., that they 

 are quite accustomed to the idea that all such 

 things arc adulterated, and more or less unhealth- 

 ful; yet their purchases of these articles are little 

 or not at all influenced thereby. But when honey 

 is to be considered, it is entirely different. The 

 least hint of adulteration scares off the would-be 

 purchaser. The paraffine - glucose - comb - honey 

 story is not only believed, but acted upon. Dealers 

 have told me that they could sell honey in large, 

 old-style boxes, with their crooked, irregular combs, 

 better than our nice, white, straight section honey, 

 because their customers believed the latter was 

 manufactured. 



"The bees couJd not make every bo.x just alike, 

 and straight as a board." A St. Louis man told me 

 it was impossible to buy pure honey of any kind 

 in that city, and that he had bought comb honey 

 which was made of paper, and filled with glucose. 



So every widely spread and apparently well- 

 authenticated report of honey-poisoning may work 

 great injury to our honey interests. Every tradi- 

 tional idea in regard to the unwholesomeness of 

 honey may do us harm. Let us, then, g-et at all the 

 facts in the case, so that every intelligent bee- 

 keeper may have arguments at hand to refute er- 

 roneous statements. The articles we have had on 

 the subject, especially those by Dr. Higbie and 

 Prof. Cook, have been very satisfactory, and I 

 think have effectually disposed of the subject as 

 far as they have entered into it; but there is an- 

 other point that I think may have some value. 

 Dr. Higbie is on the right track in the last pait of 



