30 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. 15 



finest engravings possible from some of our 

 largest and most extensive producers, illus- 

 trating each step in important methods of 

 management, many of which we ourselves 

 have not fully understood up to this time. 

 It is astonishing how these "moving pic- 

 tures" aid in making the meaning clear. 

 Then, once seen, they are never forgotten, 

 and the method in question is permanently 

 fixed in the mind. 



In spite of the fact that we have so much 

 on hand, we are just as anxious as ever to 

 get good instructive photographs, illustrat- 

 ing various interesting points in connec- 

 tion with bee-keeping. Mere pictures of 

 apiaries we do not ordinarily care for, unless 

 they illustrate some special feature. 



HOW THE MOVING PICTURES ARE SECURED. 



In some instances the editor himself has 

 visited the yards of the contributors, taken 

 the necessary pictures, step by step, to illus- 

 trate a prospective series of articles con- 

 tracted for. In other cases the contributor 

 has used his own camera. However, be- 

 sides our complete and up-to-date outfit 

 which we use ourselves, we have four or five 

 compact folding cameras that we send out 

 to special contributors together with the 

 necessary instructions, so that they "press 

 the button and we do the rest." Parties 

 who have had no experience at all have 

 taken some very good pictures in this way. 



CAPPING-MELTERS AS VIEWED BY OUR EX- 

 TENSIVE PRODUCERS. 



We can not help noticing that some of 

 our large bee-keepers who have tried cap- 

 ping-melters under quite favorable circum- 

 stances have had more or less complaint to 

 make in regard to them. As our readers 

 know, there are quite a number of different 

 shapes and sizes of melters that have been 

 used; and one opinion that has been ex- 

 pressed quite frequently is that a capping- 

 melter means considerable apparatus that 

 needs constant attention at a time when all 

 hands are the busiest. Some have come 

 out quite frankly with the statement that 

 they would prefer to lose a little honey rath- 

 er than have so much heat and fuss around 

 in the way. Others have decided that it is 

 better to allow the cappings to drain and 

 accumulate until a time when work is not 

 so rushing and labor is less expensive, then 

 render up the whole lot at one time and 

 have it done with. 



There has been also more or less complaint 

 of the quality of the honey being injured by 

 being heated in close contact with the wax, 

 propolis, etc. The latest producer to express 

 a sentiment of this kind is W. A. Chrysler, 

 who, in a paper read at the Ontario Bee- 

 keepers' Association convention, and pub- 

 lished in the December issue of the Cana- 

 dian Bee Journal, had the following to 

 say on the subject: 



We have capping-melters that are used to sepa- 

 rate honey from the cappings while the uncapping 

 of the combs is in progress. The cappings, when 

 first removed (not having time to drain), contain 



large quantities of honey. I maintain that, al- 

 though the honey may be just as palatable, it is 

 changed in flavor and color to a certain extent, al- 

 though it be not overheated. All honey, when 

 melted with cappings or comb, will take on the 

 flavor and the color that wax, smoker smoke, and 

 probably other minor substances, such as travel- 

 stain, etc., will give it. Overheating has been sug- 

 gested many times as being the cause of darkening 

 the honey and aflecting its flavor. From my expe- 

 rience I am thoroughly satisfied that the honey will 

 be darkened in color and changed in flavor, even if 

 not overheated. 



Unless cappings can be in some way pressed cold, 

 we may always expect capping honey necessarily to 

 be kept separate from our other honey, and sold on 

 its merits. 



I find that cappings. after having been drained of 

 all honey that will drain from them, still contain a 

 large percentage of honey, the value of which will 

 repay an efTort to secure it in a palatable and sal- 

 able condition. 



While taking off honey, It is advisable, however, 

 to avoid smoking the bees more than is necessary, 

 as smoker smoke, when used to excess, will affect 

 the flavor and the color, especially the cappings or 

 honey exposed on the surface of the combs. 



In my honey-house I have an uncapping-tank 

 about 6 feet long, about 18 inches wide, and about 

 the same depth, made of ?4-Inch lumber, and lined 

 on the inside with tin, in which I have four wire- 

 cloth baskets, about 17 inches square and about 12 

 inches deep, which have lugs to hang them sus- 

 pended in this tank, and handles for removing 

 when ready to melt up. I can uncap in any place 

 that is most convenient along the aforesaid tank; 

 and when the wire-cloth basket is full I can slide it 

 along out of the way to drain, and replace with an 

 empty one. 



The cappings, when sufficiently drained, are melt- 

 ed over steam-coils, or in a vessel placed in hot wa- 

 ter, with an opening to allow the wax to separate 

 from the honey. The chief difliculty I have found 

 is to separate the wax and the impurities from the 

 honey successfully, and with the desired amount of 

 labor. I have, while attending this convention, 

 seen displayed here, by the Provincial Apiarist, Mr. 

 Pettit, an apparatus that I feel certain will obviate 

 and remove the above^difflculties, and may also be 

 used in connection with the wax-press when ren- 

 dering wax from all combs. 



Some of these objections may be over- 

 come; but time only will tell whether the 

 capping-melter is a piece of apparatus that 

 will come into general use. We know that 

 there is a large number of capping-melters 

 of various constructions in use, and we in- 

 vite comment on the question, cut where it 

 may. Let those who know speak from 

 their experience so that others may profit 

 thereby. 



IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE AND HONEST 

 GRADING OF COMB HONEY. 



More and more the evidence is coming 

 in, showing that too many bee-keepers ei- 

 ther do not grade their comb honey at all, 

 or else do it so slovenly and carelessly that 

 the consignee is simply disgusted when he 

 comes to open up the cases and finds No. 2, 

 No. 1, and Fancy all mixed together indis- 

 criminately. One dealer said that he could 

 excuse careless grading, providing that the 

 front of the case was not faced up with 

 "fancy." Said a jobber, "When I send 

 out a case of fancy comb honey and sup- 

 pose that the case is in keeping with the 

 facing on the outside I get ' particular fits ' 

 from the grocer, and I deserve it, too. 

 Now," he said, "Mr. Root, you can not 

 blame me very much when I turn around 

 and give the producer 'fits.' When that 

 producer turns around and sends my letter 



