72 



THE rRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

 APPLIANCES FOR HONEY AND WAX EXTRACTION. 



133. Invention of the Honey Extractor When Langstroth, 



in 1S51, had invented the moveable-comb hive (80), and 

 Mchring, in 1857, had introduced foundation (111), the next 

 great benefit which discovery was to confer upon the industry 

 was the provision of a means by winch honey might be re- 

 moved from the comb without the destruction of the latter. 

 Hitherto honey had been extracted either by crushing the combs 

 or by melting them — an expensive method in every way, as 

 will be gathered from what has already been said upon the 

 subjects of wax secretion and comb building (73). In 1865, 

 de Hruschka, an Italian, observing his son carelessly swinging 

 a piece of honey comb in a basket, noticed that the motion 

 slung some of the honey out of the cells. Taught by what 

 seemed to be a mere accident, he proceeded to apply the 

 principle of centrifugal force to honey extraction, and with a 

 diligence which was crowned with success, and which has for 



ever placed bee-keepers under 

 ~^ a debt of gratitude to the man. 



134. The Honey Extractor 



The Honey Extractor is a 

 strong, tinned iron can (Fig. 

 56) with two cages, which re- 

 volve round a verticle spindle, 

 and hold each a frame of comb. 

 The cages (b) are set in mo- 

 , tion by the handle (a) on top, 

 and when the honey has been 

 thrown from the outer sides, 

 the combs are reversed and 

 : the operation is rei^eated. The 

 ! honey is slung out against the 

 sides of the can, is received 

 in the bottom, below the 

 j revolving cages, and may be 

 drawn off through the syrup 

 I tap ((/) (277). If the extract- 

 ■ ing is properly done, and if 

 — '^ " the combs have been wired in 



Fig. 66. tiie frames (263), the combs 



HONEY EXTBACTOE AND 



KMVES. 



