566 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15. 



[In answer to your question I would state 

 that I always supposed there was only one 

 kind of bisulphide of carbon. It may, how- 

 ever, vary in strength and in point of explo- 

 siveness ; but I should presume that the arti- 

 cle first sent out might be more explosive than 

 that now made. The very fact that it is now 

 put up in stna/l cans goes to show that its dan- 

 gerous character is recognized by insurance 

 companies, and it is doubtless the under- 

 writers' rules that specify the use of small 

 cans. The makers of the drug have probably 

 also made an effort to render it less explosive. 

 There was a time when benzine was so explo- 

 sive that it was hardly deemed advisable to 

 bring it into the house — much less use it in 

 stoves for cooking purposes ; but now it has 

 been so carefully refined we have what is at 

 present designated "gasoline," a much safer 

 article to use. 



No one has heretofore, I believe, gone as 

 thoroughly into the uses of bisulphide of car- 

 bon as you have. As it is a dangerous as well 

 as a valuable drug, to know just how to use it 

 is worth not a little. — Ei>.] 



CLEANING UP AFTER EXTRACTING. 



Honey from Cappings; how to Treat the Cap- 

 pings; Honey Vinegar; Making the Wax 

 and Vinegar Pay for the Work in the 

 Apiary ; Melting Wax on the Stove. 



BV MRS. A. J. BARBER. 



After all the combs have been extracted, and 

 while they are being returned to the hives, and 

 the tank is being emptied, the two persons who 

 have been uncapping wash the knives, pails, 

 and other utensils used in the work, and the 

 floor is cleaned by throwing on several pailfuls 

 of water, and sweeping it off. We let the cap- 

 pings stand until next day. I usually attend 

 to them early in the morning, when they are 

 nicely drained. There are usually two or 

 three pailfuls of honey in the tub under them. 

 The honey is put away, and the cappings 

 washed by pouring a lot of warm water through 

 them several times. The tank, extractor, and 

 strainer-cloth are rinsed out with hot water 

 first, and then with cold, and all rinsings put 

 into the vinegar-barrels with the washings 

 from the cappings. We often have 25 gallons 

 sweet enough to make good vinegar. The 

 cappings are put into a solar wax-extractor, 

 and make fine wax We have never had any 

 thing but a home-made extractor ; and as we 

 irender up scrapings and old combs — any thing 

 that will make wax, we have some impurities 

 in it. It is all put aside until the honey season 

 is over, and then I take an afternoon for melt- 

 ing it over and cleaning it. 



I begin my preparations by putting news- 

 papers on the floor all round the stove ; then 

 after getting a good steady coal fire and a big 

 wash-boiler with two pailfuls of water over it 

 I get my cakes of wax on the left-hand side, 

 within easy reach of the stove. On the right 

 hand I put the vessels for the melted wax. I 



have a bag of cheese-cloth, made about the 

 size of a pillow-slip, and put several cakes of 

 wax into it, and put it into one end of the 

 boiler, having the top of the bag over the end 

 of the boiler, so that it does not get into the 

 wax when it melts. As fast as the wax melts 

 and the water gets to boiling too hard, I put 

 in fresh cakes to keep down the heat. As the 

 wax melts it is dipped off with a tin dipper or 

 cup. I can take care of a lot in an afternoon, 

 and it comes out nice too. When I get all the 

 cakes melted, and the bag is taken out, I dip 

 carefull)' until there is about half an inch of 

 wax left on the water. I leave that to cool, 

 as there is always a dark sediment on the low- 

 er side. This cake is put away until next sea- 

 son, when it is put through a solar extractor 

 again. 



This year we are getting a Rauchf uss ex- 

 tractor, and hope to do away with the mussing 

 about the stove, though it is not so bad as I 

 used to think it would be. Last year I pre- 

 pared 130 pounds in four hours, and had no 

 cleaning up to speak of except to scrub my 

 boiler with dry papers for a good long time. 

 The vinegar is more work, as we make several 

 barrels every year. We try to make the vine- 

 gar and wax pay most of the running expenses 

 of the apiary. 



Mancos, Colo. 



GLEANINGS FROM GLEANINGS. 



Tall Against Square Sections, and Plain Sections 

 and Fences. 



BY A. J. V17RIGHT. 



Much discussion has arisen in regard to tall 

 vs. square sections. While some condemn the 

 latter in strong terms, others favor them, and 

 by no means are anxious for a change. I 

 think it was the editor who said that the 4X X 

 Ai%. is about as near standard as any thing we 

 can get. Now, I believe in adopting that 

 which is the best when we are sure that it is 

 the best ; but this continual changing is very 

 trying to the nerves as well as to the pocket of 

 the bee-keeper. As for myself, I can see no 

 good reason for changing from the A.% X4X to 

 any other size. Some of the reasons given 

 for changing are that the tall sections are 

 handsomer, better filled, and are preferred by 

 customers, bringing a better price, etc. The 

 tall sections — door and window shaped — do not 

 to my eye present as handsome an appearance 

 as the 4'r(X4;4^ square, equal on all sides, 

 without deception. That the bees will fill the 

 tall section better, I am slow to believe. It is 

 urged that the bees build downward faster 

 than sidewise. Now, while it is true that the 

 bees of necessity keep the lower edge of the 

 c^mb a little in advance of the width, yet in 

 building in a-iy^X'iH space, if there is any 

 thing like a force of bees such as ought to be 

 working in sections they will keep the sides 

 pretty well along with the downward move- 

 ment ; and in the event of their reaching the 

 bottom sooner they will devote their energies 

 to filling out at the sides. 



