530 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 1 



of here any more as a very serious factor, 

 for the simple reason that none of the farm- 

 ers desire pasture of pure alsike. It is of 

 little use as a second crop, as here it will 

 not spring up after cutting as does its cou- 

 sins red clover and alfalfa. The symptoms 

 of the horses affected are just as described 

 by Mr. McCormack on page 430 — running 

 sores, and swelling around the eyes; and, in 

 the cases where the legs are affected, peel- 

 ing off of skin with violent inflammation and 

 other irritating symptoms. In conversation 

 with the farmer mentioned I made it a point 

 to ask as to the color of the horses, and I 

 was surprised to hear him say that all the 

 affected horses had white noses and white 

 fetlocks. Sounds like a myth, but it is true 

 just the same, and Mr. Case's diagnosis of 

 the trouble seems like the most reasonable 

 that I have yet heard. It is a good sugges- 

 tion of his as well, as to the advisability of 

 having an investigation made by competent 

 authorities; but as the alsike is so well es- 

 tablished here in Ontario it is doubtful if 

 enough interest could be stirred up to get 

 the project going. 



A CAPPING-MELTER DARKENED THE HONEY 

 SLIGHTLY. 



We have had the capping-melter going, 

 Mr. Editor — one made after the pattern you 

 outlined. After the first day's using I was 

 writing to the Canadian Bee Journal that 

 evening, and I reported that the device was 

 satisfactory in every way so far as we could 

 see. However, after more trials we find 

 that it does color the honey more or less, 

 use it as carefully as we can. As you re- 

 ported different results in using it at Mr. 

 Fowls' last season, I can not see wherein 

 lies our trouble. Any suggestions along the 

 line that would enlighten us will be appre- 

 ciated, for it certainly is a satisfaction to 

 have the cappings all out of the road at the 

 end of the day's work. 



Possibly we did not give it a fair trial, 

 though, as we did not use it" as recommend- 

 ed, strictly speaking. Instead of having the 

 cappings drop directly into the melter we 

 preferred to use the uncapping-box, and 

 then from time to time place the cappings in 

 the melter, which was placed off to one side 

 a bit. This was done because the heat from 

 the gasoline-stove was noticeably felt when 

 standing right over it. Of course the wax 

 and honey did not have quite as good a 

 chance to free themselves as quickly as 

 would be the case if the cappings were drop- 

 ped in more regularly. However, if we had 

 to stand over the machine as pictured in 

 Gleanings we would certainly not use it at 

 all, as the heat is very much in evidence in 

 our experience. 



The coloring mentioned was not very pro- 

 nounced; andi in fact, the first day we used 

 the machine, continually drawing away the 

 honey, we thought it was not discolored at 

 all; but the next day after ceasing opera- 

 tions I left a bucket full of wax and honey 

 till the following morning, and was then con- 

 vinced otherwise. The honey was colored 

 quite a lot; but the taste was not affected 



noticeably, so I suspect that, if the honey 

 were distributed with the rest right along, 

 very little if anj^ harm would be done. I 

 might add that, in placing the cappings in 

 the matter, an equal distribution was made 

 as far as possible, yet there is no question 

 but that even then the machine did not have 

 as good a chance as if the cappings dropped 

 in directly from the knife. 



PETTIT STRAINER HAS SMALL CAPACITY. 



We also tried the Pettit honey-strainer; 

 and, while it is handy, yet with this year's 

 excessively thick honey we find the honey 

 will not go through the cheese-cloth in the 

 strainer as quickly as it will when the cheese- 

 cloth is suspended over the tank and tied on 

 in old-time style. 



removing HONEY FROM HIVES. 



That article of Mr. Crowther's, page 426, 

 is worthy of the commendation you give it, 

 Mr. Editor; but I was wondering, when I 

 read about the set of men operating at a 

 hive, what short cuts are best lor us medium 

 producers with three or four apiaries. This 

 year in running three apiaries, all the help 

 we have hired has been a man to turn the 

 extractor six days — three days will yet be 

 necessary, making nine in all. The writer 

 works alone in the yard, and also helps inside 

 a little occasionally; and with a man to turn 

 the extractor, and my good wife with the 

 knife, we manage to run off from 1800 to 

 2500 lbs. per day. I admit that, after having 

 handled all the combs, both in taking off the 

 hives and in giving them back empty, we 

 sometimes feel a bit tired; but then, the 

 work lasts for only a few days, and after 

 that we do not put in ten hours every day. 

 After being used to working alone at the 

 hives, I think it would take a lot of school- 

 ing to get me used to help, and possibly I 

 may be in the rut so deep that I shall never 

 be able to get out, and will continue to plod 

 along at the old gait. 



Just a word about knives, hot or cold. 

 Two years ago I persuaded Mrs. Byer (who 

 does all the uncapping, and insists on doing 

 so because she likes the work) to use the 

 knife cold, as our small coal-oil stoves had 

 been stored away for the time being. This 

 year is another story, and the stoves are go- 

 ing again; in fact, we can not uncap without 

 the heat at all without bruising the cells all 

 up, no matter how sharp the knife. In all 

 our experience we have never had such 

 gummy honey; and after this experience we 

 feel like saying, regarding the controversy 

 as to hot or cold knives, that there is no set 

 rule that can be laid down, as it is a matter 

 all depending on the honey. 



Mt. Joy, Ontario, Can. 



[We believe, as our correspondent says, 

 that the melter would have had a better 

 chance if used in the regular way — that is. if 

 the honey and cappings had dropped into 

 the melter directly from the knife. The 

 chances are that, since there was not a 

 constant circulation, the part of the honey 

 lodging next to the outside of the can be- 

 came overheated before it could run out of 



I 



