MAV, 19: 



GLEANINGS TN BEE CULTURE 



303 



Otlierwise, considerable condensed steam is 

 likely to be added to the honey — uninten- 

 tional "watered stock." 



Mr. Bray goes further in his own extract- 

 ing apparatus. He punches a small hole in 

 the side of the extractor under the bottom, 

 and introduces through this hole a very 

 small steam pipe. Oi)ening the valve slight- 

 ly permits steam to circulate under the bot- 

 tom of the extractor and to escape around 

 the outside. This plan heats the bottom of 

 the extractor and assists very materially in 

 warming the honey. It discolors the enamel 

 on the extractor, but that seems to be the 

 only disadvantage. 



Straining. 



While we have tried a good many differ- 

 ent forms of settling tanks having parti- 

 tions, etc., Ave prefer the plan shown in Fig. 

 2. A long soft bag of cheesecloth the full 

 depth of the tank is tacked to four sticks, 

 as shown, and the honey is pumped inside. 

 Xo honey is drawn off until the tank is full, 

 and then only fast enough to keep the tank 

 from running over. No especial sizes are 

 important. The bag should merely be as 

 large as the tank will permit, leaving two 



or three inches for clear honey outside. This 

 plan is really an arrangement for settling 

 rather than straining, for most of the par- 

 ticles of wax float to tlie top so that, after 

 all, the clieesecloth does not have a great 

 deal of straining to do. A bag two feet 

 square and about four feet deep will ordin- 

 arily take care of 10,000 pounds of honey 

 without cleaning. Frequently it will not 

 have to be changed until a much greater 

 amount has passed through. If the honey 

 is exceedingly thick, it may have to be 

 changed in a shorter time. When the accu- 

 mulation of bits of cappings and other for- 

 eign material piles up inside the bag to a 

 level much higlier than the clear honey out- 

 side, a change is necessary. The honey is 

 then drawn off from the tank and the bag 

 lifted over a tub to drain. This is not a 

 particularly easy manipulation; therefore, 

 next year we expect to use a cylindrical bas- 

 ket, a few inches smaller in diameter than 

 the honey tank, made of coarse screen with 

 a stout band of steel around the top. This 

 will support the cheesecloth bag inside and 

 facilitate lifting over another can to drain 

 when it is necessary to make a change. We 



Tig. 1. — General view of the extractiiifr room as used :it Medina in 19121. The extractor was driven by 

 ii l-horsepower motor. Steam was used to warm the honey from the i)ump to facilitate straining. Steam 

 was also used instead of a stove for heating the water .in the capping-melter. 



