JULY 15, 1912 



4' h 



East 



44/^- 



■ -x- 



es from the left (west) end is a partition 

 G, which is soldered tight to the sides and 

 bottom of the tank P, except a narrow 

 opening 1/4x3 in the lowest corner. This 

 acts as the separator, as the wax, being 

 lighter than the honey, floats on top of it, 

 and is, therefore, confined to the right side 

 of this partition, the honey flowing over 

 through the narrow slot at the bottom into 

 the four-inch compartment between the 

 partition and the left end of the tank. 



A slatted bottom, H, which inclines to- 

 ward the back of the tank, supports the 

 cappings in the sun, as it is located in such 

 a iDosition that no part of it is shaded. 



To catch the cappings from the knife, I 

 use a galvanized iron stock-tank having a 

 slatted bottom above the true bottom, and 

 a honey-gate at one end. The cappings are 

 allowed to accumulate and drain over night. 

 The next morning, with a pitchfork I re- 

 move a wash-tubful of cappings from 

 which most of the honey has drained, and 

 dump them into this separator on the slat- 

 ted bottom. If the sun is not shining very 



hot I stir them thi'ee or four times during 

 the day as they melt. It the sun is very 

 hot, I shade the glass partially by fasten- 

 ing over the top of it a piece of burlap. 

 As the cappings warm up, the honey and a 

 little of the melted wax drops through the 

 false bottom into the cool shaded portion 

 of the tank beneath, the honey running 

 through as the level rises into its own com- 

 partment. The bulk of the cappings re- 

 mains in a semi-melted state on the slatted 

 bottom. This mass is allowed to harden; 

 and the next morning, by the use of a chis- 

 el, it is pried loose and stored away until 

 a convenient time for rendering into wax 

 with the ordinary wax-press. 



The honey is usually drawn off while it is 

 warm, into a sixty-pound can, and strained 

 through a wire-cloth strainer at the mouth 

 of the can. The melted wax that drops 

 through the slatted bottom is allowed to ac- 

 cumulate until the time comes for render- 

 ing, when it is removed and put through a 

 wax-press with the rest. 



Prophetstown, 111. 



