13S 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September 



at retail, which will make 30 pounds 

 of syrup — enough to send any colony 

 into the cellar in prime condition. 

 This sugar syrup, however, unless 

 skillfully made, is liable to two serious 

 faults — fermenting and granulating, 

 either of which is fatal to success. 

 I had learned to avoid these difficul- 

 ties, but at the cost of considerable 

 trouble, and I hailed any simple and 

 certain means of making the syrup as 

 a great boon : and I know that thou- 

 sands feel as I do ; hence, the queston 

 is one of great importance to bee-keep- 

 ers in general. 



When I read Mr. Tatman's article 

 I decided to go to town at once and 

 get the necessary material for a ma- 

 chine ; but no team being immediate- 

 ly at command, I was compelled to de- 

 lay. Alice Carey says, in one of her 

 sweet poems — 



" We cannot make bargains for blisses, 

 Nor catch them like fishes in net ; 

 And ofttirnes the thing life misses 

 Help more than that which we get." 



Being dissapointed, I lay down for 

 a restful nap. Here is the time and 

 place where I do my thinking and 

 dreaming. A vision presented itself 

 to my mind. I had one of Bro. Root's 

 uncapping-cans. Why would not this 

 make a capital leach for making 

 syrup? Here is the 12-gallon can be- 

 low, for holding the syrup when made , 

 with molasses gate all ready to draw 

 it off. The top can will hold at least 

 150 pounds of sugar, with room for 

 water. But this great weight will be 

 too much, for the wire-cloth bottom 

 will sag and spoil it. I will go at 

 once and plan to overcome this diffi- 

 culty. O, happy day ! Bro. Root has 

 anticipated this very need. He has 



put this large tin cone in the lower 

 can for this very purpose. 1 had for- 

 gotten it was there. 1 had often won- 

 dered why it was made, as the cappings 

 from combs, when extracting, are very 

 light, and do not need it. It is now 

 plain why it is there. Bro. Root truly 

 sees things from afar off. 



Yes, the thing is all ready for a per- 

 fect syrup factory, without a cent of 

 expense, or a moment's delay. The 

 flannel filter is the only thing needed. 

 The can is 20 inches in diameter, and 

 a circle was struck on a piece of stiff 

 paper 22 inches in diameter, 2 inches 

 larger than the can. This is to turn 

 up one inch all around against the 

 edge of the can, so the sugar can be 

 pressed tightly against it, and a leak 

 be prevented, and the syrup be com- 

 pelled to leach through the cloth, for 

 in this lies the secret of perfect syrup. 



The paper was laid upon a sound 

 piece of clean old bed- blanket, and 

 three pieces cut out ; and as we were 

 quite certain that we had found the 

 " promised land," and that the thing 

 was not an experiment, we located the 

 can under the shop stairs, upon a neat 

 platform high enough to get a suitable 

 vessel under the honey-gate, to catch 

 the syrup. 



The flannels were spread upon the 

 wire bottom, and carefully adjusted 

 around the edge. Then 70 pounds of 

 sugar was scooped from the barrel of 

 granulated, sitting alongside. Two 

 ' pails of water was poured on, and I 

 lay down for a night of happy dreams. 



Was I disappointed in the quality 

 of the syrup ? I should say not; and 

 I am happy. 



Thousands have these uncapping- 



