814 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



runs through a pipe in the bottom of the heater to 

 the tank below it, which supplies the steam-chest. 



As stated above, the building is on a hillside. On 

 the upper side we drive up to the door and unload 

 the honey on a level from the wagon to the floor of 

 the upper stoi-y; on the lower side we load honey 

 from the basement— canned, cased, and ready for 

 shipment, into a wagon, without having to elevate' 

 it, the bottom of the wagon and basement floor be- 

 ing on a level. Thus, you see, we do the work ex- 

 peditiously, accurately (damaging no honey by 

 coming in too close contact with Arc), and easily. 

 The tinners are never given any extra resting- 

 spells waiting for the candied honey to melt. 



We put up about 1500 cans a day, working by day- 

 light. During the past three seasons I have made 

 use of the sun evaporator, for the purpose of more 

 thoroughly curing my crop (I extract all my honey). 

 The honey discharges itself from the extractor into 

 a funnel covered with cheese-cloth. It is then con- 

 veyed by a short pipe through the wall of the hon- 

 ey-house, and emptied into the evaporator. When 

 thoroughly cured, a pipe, entering the evaporator 

 in its bottom, conducts the honey back through the 

 wall of the building into the basement, and dis- 

 charges into a large tank, or othar storage vessels. 

 The evaporator is placed on the south side of the 

 honey-house, with tin reflector above it. Where I 

 have not a sun evaporator in my apiary 1 extract 

 none (except as compelled to do sometimes from 

 brood-combs) until fall, but tier my hives up, 3, 4, 5, 

 and even ti stories high. 



Having some time ago read an account of friend 

 Muth's mode of heating and handling honey, and 

 thinking his plan must be ver.\' tedious, where so 

 hirge a quantity is handled, induced me to give you 

 my plan. . A. Chiustie. 



Smithland, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1885. 



I Will explain to our friends, that friend 

 Christie probably sells as nnicli extracted 

 honey in small packages as any other one 

 man, unless it is friend Miith, of Cincinnati. 

 Wliile friend Muth makes glass jars his spe- 

 cialty, friend Christie has a special style of 

 tin can, partly described in the alxne article. 

 I will explain further, by saying tiiat this 

 can is not unlike the ordinary Junes can, as 

 we have called them, except that a tin cover 

 slips on or off at pleasiu-e; and miderneath 

 this tin cover is a second top, made of the 

 tliinnest kind of taggers' tin, and it is 

 therefore easily cut open with an ordinary 

 l)enknife ; and after tliis taggeis'-tin cover 

 is cut out and thrown away you have a tin 

 box or pail, as the case may' he, with a nice- 

 titting slip-over cover. IJelow we give a 

 copy of friend Chiistie's labels as they read 

 on his one-pound honey-package : 



Pure Honey from the Aimaries ok 



AUG. CmilSTlK, 



SMITHLAND, - IOWA. 



Friend C.'s peculiarity in liis metliod of 

 melting candied lioney is this : In.stead of 

 running steam through a coih'd jtipe.lie runs 

 the honey througli tiie coiled iiijje, and the 

 steam is let into the steam-chest surround- 

 ing it. I believe tliere is an advantage in 

 this, because a lower temperatiue of steam 

 would melt the honey rapidly, and make it 

 (low freely. The sainple received was not 

 candied, and I think it quite likely that 

 honey sealed up in this way, when heated to 



about the right temperature, would remain 

 in ai.liquid state nntil the can is cut open. 

 Although we may not, many of us, go to the 

 expense of just such an apparatus as the 

 above, there are many hints given in the 

 article that will doubtless be a benefit to 

 many of us. 



Tlie following is the contents of a circular 

 label on top of the cover. Perhaps we might 

 add,.that friend Christie is our largest cus- 

 tomer for honey-labels, from which we judge 

 that he sells immense quantities of honey in 

 this way. 



This end of this can is simply a slip cover. To 

 open it, cut the label around the edge of this cover, 

 and pull the cover otf; then cut out the soft thin 

 end now under the cover, and you have an open 

 can which you can shut and open at pleasure, while 

 using the honey. 



A EULOGY UPON SOME OF OUR PROM- 

 INENT BEE-KEEPERS. 



Well, now, if I did, in a former song. 



If I did in that do ttie lion wrong, 



] beg his pardon; I'd rather kneel, 



Than to be for him a single meal! 



But he stands to day 



] n proud array — 



His fame is flxed and sure. 



Here's Jones and Benton — noble men, 



They're marching in the van; 

 Bring out yf)ur heroes, one by one, 



And match them if you can. 

 They marched through many a burning isle. 



And s\ve7>t the eastern seas. 

 To furnish man and woman kind 



The finest race of bees. 



And there is Hoot —"foremost" this Root, 



1 ne'er v\m fimi a rhynu' to suit, 



Althouuli 1 stait in wild i)ursuit; 



Yet, wliore is the man with bee repute, 



Or any other, that will dispute 



That this is a kind and tender Root? 



And, lo! afur in summer sky 



I see a banner floating high; 



And written there in living light 



Are words that give the heart delight: 



"If all my customers among. 



There's any I have done a wrong, 



Then let me know, and I will try 



My utmost them to satisf j'." 



'Tis Hayhurst's banner floating high. 

 For honesty of purpose, sterling worth. 

 There beats no heart upon this blooming earth 

 More true and steadfast— none that I would trust 

 Sooner than Heddon, for I believe him just. 

 And there is Cook— an honored name. 

 That stands full liigh on the roll of fame. 

 Whether he's tall across, or long and slim, 

 I also liave a " i row to pick " with him. 

 I'll tell it to ydu at soinr other tinie. 

 Either in sailih'st pros*' or merry rhyme; 

 How lie, fi-oiii this "vain world" did almost jolt 

 Your humble servant, with " his little colt." 

 But there he is— a i)aragt)n of men, 

 A master of tlie heart, the ear, the pen. 

 And Mi-8. Axtell— there she stands. 

 Beloved in this and other lands. 

 A purer faith— a prouder fame, 

 "Than gathers round Marengo's name." 

 Another luiinlred I could name, and more, 

 That stand full high in apicultural lore. 

 There's JSIrs. Harrison, and Chaddock too, 

 Might be a flt example unto you. 

 Cyula Linswik, in her forest home. 

 And Nellie also, to my memory come. 

 These names with tenderness I now recall. 

 These are a few— only a few— 

 Photograplis I present to you. 

 Sift them and weigh them, one by one. 

 Humble and poor they all began,— 

 With head and hands they worked amain. 

 San Dieguito, Cal. J. P. Isr.\el. 



