1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



53 



continued, is the only remedy, and I found 

 that my side delivery of the honey was inade- 

 quate to save the honey from being somewhat 

 darkened. While conducting my experiments 

 I noted that, one day, when there were light 

 clouds obscuring the sun, the honey rendered 

 out that day was not darkened at all. The 

 heat was just right to melt the honey and not 

 render the wax. It occurred to me that, if I 

 could put a cloud over the extractor on a 

 bright day, it would work fully as well as 

 clouds a mile high. Therefore, referring to 

 the photo, you will see my cloud which on 

 that day was improvised from a heavy gunny 

 sack. I found that the degree of heat on one 

 day needed a heavier covering than on anoth- 

 er day; and now, to make the heat more uni- 

 form, I would secure my cloud a few inches 



I had a large amount of old scraps of combs, 

 and combs from hives that were riddled with 

 moths. They were all rendered through this 

 extractor. The slumgum was saved, and at 

 the close of the harvest this was boiled thor- 

 oughly, and from a large amount of it I se- 

 cured 10 lbs. of wax. It paid well for the 

 day's labor. 



With the last extracting of honey I delved 

 again into the brood-nest of those tall hives 

 to find out if the bees had filled those empty 

 frames, and to see if there was a good supply 

 of honey on hand for the winter. When we 

 try to get at the brood-chamber of this hive 

 we find it no small job. The upper extract- 

 ing- chamber can not be lifted off, so we have 

 to take out those frames one at a time, and 

 place them in a box where robbers will not 



RAMBLER'S SHADED SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR — MANNER OF WORKING. 



above the glass, with a large uncapping-box 

 with ample drainage, and a little fussing with 

 the shade to the extractor. Nearly all of the 

 honey can be thus drained out and not discol- 

 ored. There is a small per cent that will 

 stick to the cappings, and come out only with 

 the wax, and is much discolored. 



Running the contents off at the side makes 

 it necessary to provide a long box in which to 

 catch the honey and wax. As a further im- 

 provement to my sun extractor I would make 

 it still wider, and provide for caking the wax 

 by sun heat. 



There are others who are experimenting in 

 this direction; and if they would have their 

 ideas illustrated and described I am sure the 

 readers of Gleanings would be benefited. 



molest them. I was pleased to find the bees 

 had filled a good share of those empty frames 

 that were put below, and also filled them with 

 honey. The bees in those tall hives had ev- 

 idently provided ample winter stores before 

 going into the supers. There were quite a 

 number, however, that neglected the empty 

 frames, and followed the old combs into the 

 upper portion of the hive. In all such cases a 

 frame filled with honey was put below. 



From my experience with these hives I 

 think bees are sure to put more honey into a 

 brood-chamber 15 inches deep than they are 

 in a shallow hive. The brood in these deep 

 frames, even in the height of the breeding 

 season, hardly ever came to the top-bar of the 

 frame, and never to the outside frames. There 



