1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



683 



given this leads me to think that the progres- 

 sive bee-keeper should be satisfied with it. 



As the wax runs down from the melting- 

 pan it is concentrated into the molding-pan 

 at the smaller end. To operate this machine 

 I place the sash and glass in position over the 

 cap f )ings, which nearly fill the melting-tray. 

 I place over the sash the protecting cover, but 

 draw it down so as to expose only about three 

 inches of the upper portion of the cappings. 

 By gradually pulling the cover down, the 

 honey is nearly all driven out into the long 

 round-bottomed tin tray below. A little hook- 

 ed wire will be noticed in the end of this pan. 

 This connects with a cork and an orifice by 

 which the honey can be drawn off into a pan 

 below, which is not shown. This first honey 

 that is drawn off is not discolored nor in any 

 way injured by the sun's heat. Now take the 

 shade off and set it aside ; cork the orifice and 

 let the remaining honey and wax go into the 

 long pan. It will soon overflow into the cak- 

 ing-pan below. This pan will hold about 15 

 lbs. of wax. Wax taken out of the upper pan 

 will have more or less dross on the bottom ; 

 but when run into this caking pan the bottom 

 of the cake is as clean as the top, as will be 

 seen from the appearance of the cake in the 

 hands of the operator. 



While rendering old combs I nearly fill the 

 first long pan with water. The wax soon 

 overflows, and I find it necessary to allow it 

 to run through a small supplementary tray 

 which I hang to the upper portion of the 

 caking-pan. There is a sort of black gummy 

 substance that escapes the first pan, and is 

 caught in this one, leaving the wax, even from 

 old comb, clean from dross. The caking-pan 

 is supported from the top, as will be seen, 

 and it always retains its level when the body 

 of the extractor is tilted at different levels. 

 Although I have rendered out only about 30 

 lbs. of wax in this extractor, it works equal to 

 my expectations. The honey and wax are 

 run off into separate pans, which I think is a 

 new feature in sun extractors. It is, perhaps, 

 more applicable to a sunny climate like this 

 than it would be in a cloudy and cool one like 

 the far East. 



When the sun wax-extractor was completed 

 and out of the way, and my honey-house built 

 as far as the exigencies of the season would 

 allow, the honey-extractor placed within, and 

 the tank without, and a hole bored through 

 the floor in order to form a connection, I then 

 began the study of honey-strainers. I have 

 used cheese-cloth to a great extent ; but a 

 cheese-cloth strainer, while it is the cheapest 

 and handiest thing that can be used, will clog; 

 and when a paddle is used to free the bottom 

 of the little particles, some of them are ground 

 through into the honey, and then it soon clogs 

 again, and has to be changed for a clean one. 



I have also used the gravity strainer ; but 

 under rapid work at the extractor the little 

 particles will not all rise to the top ; and if 

 there is a screen placed at the bottom it will 

 clog, and then there is vexation again ; and 

 at the best there are a lot of fine particles that 

 get into the tank, to be skimmed off after- 

 ward. In order to match my honey-house 



and sun extractor, and have a strainer up to 

 date and a little ahead of date, I considered 

 the matter with intensity ; and while I was 

 under this intense strain an idea popped into 

 my head all of a sudden. I grasped my saw 

 and plane, and in two hours had a strainer 

 that is away ahead of date ; and the joke of it 

 is, it is so simple that it is a wonder we had 

 not thought of it before. Of course, I present 

 you a photo of it, and you will note that it is 

 made of the old stand by, cheese-cloth, and 

 the cloth in this one is half a yard wide and 

 three yards long. This band of cloth is at- 



k ambler's improved honey-strainer. 



taclied to rollers. The rollers are about an 

 inch in diameter, square or round as you 

 please, and three wire nails with their heads 

 cut off are driven in and slightly bent. Upon 

 these hook the end of the band; now wind up, 

 and place that roller in the little frame, and 

 next to the extractor attach the other end to 

 the other roller in like manner, and you are 

 ready for business. The ratchets on the end 

 of the rollers hold the cloth at any tension, 

 and the little pieces projecting from the end- 

 bars hold the sides of the cloth from sagging 

 in that direction. When the strainer clogs, 

 give the front roller a turn, at the same time 

 loosening the rear roller, and a new surface of 

 cloth is presented, and the honey goes merrily 

 on. A shallow pan catches the honey, and 

 conducts it to the tank. All of the debris 

 will wind up on the roller, and this roller 

 should be at least an inch higher than its 

 mate. Some pieces of dirt will drop off from 

 this roller, and a little pan of some sort should 

 be placed beneath it as shown in the half-tone. 

 As this strainer has not been crowded with 

 work this season, I am not sure that three 

 yards are too much or not enough. At any 

 rate, it is cheap material, and any amount can 

 be used. The rollers are hung in slots so they 

 can be easily removed, and the cloth tat en off 

 and washed. 



I have more nice new things that will please 

 the fraternity ; but I think this is about all 

 you can stand at this time, and I shall have to 

 ask you to wait until the next issue for the rest. 



