Vol. XIV. 



NOV. 1, 1886. 



No. 21. 



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NOKTH-AMERICAN CONVENTION". 



A Few " Pointers." 



RENDERING BEESWAX. 



■ ANY pei'sons spoil wax by melting- it in dirty 

 iron kettles; also by overheatinjr it, or, 

 when using steam, by adiuitting- the steam 

 into direct contact with the wax. Wax 

 may be rendered in an ordinary boiler upon 

 a stove, by using plenty of water. A sack of wire 

 cloth sunk in the boiler will enable any one to dip 

 the melted wax from the inside of the sack in a tol- 

 erably fair state of purity. The solar wax-extractor 

 is destined to take the place of other wax extract- 

 ors. There is no expense for fuel, the wax is of 

 superior quality, and the honey in cappings is saved. 

 A small solar wax-extractor is preferable to a large 

 one. It should be of such size that the wax placed 

 in it will all melt in a day. The dish containing the 

 melted wax that has run from the extractor ought 

 to stand in the sun, in order that the wax may re- 

 main in a melted state, allowing the impurities to 

 settle. The heat of the sun is never sufficient to in- 

 .1ure the wa.\, but the honey has a flavor of pollen. 



SEPARATORS. 



Mr. N. N. Betsinger, of New York, has, for four 

 years, been using wire cloth for separators. The 

 mesh is four to the inch, and the cloth is dipped in 

 molten metal, which fixes the wires solidly in their 

 places. The bees can pass very freely, while the 

 wire acts perfectly as a separator. Mr. B. uses a 

 case for holding the sections in such a position that 

 the separators remain a bee-space from the sides of 

 the sections. Mr. Betsinger has patented his in- 

 vention. 



FOUTi BROOD. 



This subject was quite largely discussed. Good 

 evidence was introduced, showing that the disease 

 may be spread by means of honej'. It was also 

 thought that many people did not correctly inter- 

 pret the published descriptions of foul brood. The 

 descriptions given are applicable to the advanced 

 stages of the disease; but when it first starts, only 

 a few diseased cells will be seen, and there will be 

 no noticeable odor unless the nose Is brought near 

 the foul brood. When a larva is diseased, its color 

 changes to that of coffee with milk in it, and it will 

 stretch out (if a pin be thrust into it and an attempt 

 made to remove the larva) to the length of an inch. 

 It finally assumes a darker hue, shrinks and dries 

 up, and remains upon the lower side of the cell, 

 where it resembles a speck of tar. Several had 

 cured foul brood by the starvation plan. 



HONEY-PLANTS. 



The advice at present is to raise such plants for 

 honey as will yield something besides honey. For 

 this purpose, alsike clover stands at the head; next 

 comes buckwheat, then rape and raspberries. The 

 most promising plants to raise for honey alone are 

 sweet clover, flgwort, spider plant, and tlie so-called 

 Chapman honey-plant. The latter is a biennial, re- 

 sembling a thistle. The seed is sown in the spring, 

 and, after the plant is fully established, it requires 

 no further attention. It yields honey in very large 

 quantities, has a fibrous stalk that some one 

 thought might be utilized in making straw paper, 

 and 2i4 lbs. of ground seed has furnished ounces 

 of fine clear oil. 



DRONES AND DRONE-COMB. 



Drones serve no purpose except the fecundation 

 of (jueens, and bees build drone-comb only when 



