AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



777 



CONDUCTED BY 



MRS. JENNIE ATCHLEY. 



Beeville, Texas. 



PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING. 



liCilSOU No. 15. 



A NJEW AND EASY WAY TO MAKE BEES- 

 WAX. 



I have just discovered a new and easy 

 way 10 make beeswax, and just as fine 

 wax as can be made by the solar plan — 

 no difference how old and tough the 

 combs are. 



Take a half-barrel and arrange a cloth 

 so that it will swing down about half 

 way of the barrel. Any strong porous 

 cloth will do, or wire-cloth is good. Then 

 boil the old combs in a copper or tin ves- 

 sel till all is thoroughly heated, putting 

 the combs right into the water, just as 

 if you were going to cook it. Have 

 some clean, boiling water in another 

 vessel — enough to fill the half-barrel 

 one-third fall. Pour the boiling water 

 into the half-barrel first, then pour the 

 melted combs, water and all, into the 

 strainer. Cover up the barrel with two 

 thicknesses of gunny-sacking, let it 

 alone for a day or two, then go around 

 when you are ready for the wax, loosen 

 the hoops so as to let out the water and 

 you will feel astonished to see how near- 

 ly all the wax is drained out. 



The larger the amount of combs you 

 have, the larger barrel you will need. 

 The hot water in the barrel keeps the 

 whole contents hot for 12 hours, gives 

 all the dirt and dregs time to settle to 

 the bottom, the wax cools so slowly that 

 it does not crack, the staves of the bar- 

 rel spread out and leaves the wax. All 

 in all, it is the easiest way to make bees- 

 wax, aside from the solar plan, that I 

 know of, and can be done at any time of 

 the year, and no combs too old nor too 

 tough to work, as with the solar plan. 

 And then we have our wax thoroughly 

 cleansed at one operation. 



If you will only give this plan a trial, 

 you will find that you can do away with 



a whole lot of muss and bother, and the 

 whole operation of making 25 to 50 

 pounds of wax need not take more than 

 one hour of your time. 



Jennie Atchley. 



Cell-Cups Made in Winter. 



Mrs. Atchley : — Will manufactured 

 queen-cell cups, made during the winter 

 for next season's use, be as good and 

 acceptable to the bees as those freshly 

 made ? It would be a gain, if they, like 

 many other things, could be made in the 

 winter time. Wm. Muth-Rasmussen. 



Independence, Calif., Nov. 23. 



Friend M.-R., I have given your ques- 

 tion some thought before replying, and 

 while I have not tried cell-cups kept 

 during the winter, I am satisfied they 

 will be just as good as fresh ones, if 

 kept clean, dry, and from being mashed. 

 I have kept them for two months or 

 more, and could see no difference. It 

 has been stated that bees do not like to 

 work foundation that has been made a 

 season, but I have as yet failed to see 

 any difference when the foundation was 

 properly kept — clean, dry and free from 

 moth. Jennie Atchley. 



Good Rains — Assured Success. 



They are having good rains in Hum- 

 boldt county, Caiif., so says F. H. Boyn- 

 ton. They look forward to a good honey 

 year the following summer, when they 

 get plenty of rain during winter in Cali- 

 fornia. 



Some are asking if I think they would 

 be assured of success should they move 

 their bees here. To this I will say no. 

 I do not know that you would be as- 

 sured of snccess — I can only tell you 

 that it is a good bee-county, and some 

 will succeed while others will not. This 

 has always been the case and always 

 will be, I suppose. You know John out- 

 ran Peter and beat him to the tomb 

 where Jesus was buried, and some may 

 outrun you in the bee-business, and 

 succeed while you may fail. 



Jennie Atchley. 



Bees Reasoning'. 



I see Mr. Allen Pringle, on page 660, 

 thinks that bees reason, as well as many 

 other insects and animals. While Mr. 

 Pringle's ideas may be right, I am of the 



