The Townsend Bee Book 53 
cans. The buckets were used one season, but at the end of this 
time we concluded that the honey had been handled more than 
necessary. For a good many years after that we emptied the 
honey from the pails directly into the large tank and allowed it to 
stand over night, then skimmed it and ran it into cans. This saved 
one handling, and we found the honey was equal in every respect. 
to that which had been handled twice by means of the sap-buckets. 
Since that time our honey has been handled as previously 
explained, but put into the cans as fast as extracted. This does 
away with a good deal of the labor. I admit that pails for handling 
the honey from the extractor are not very satisfactory; but [ 
presume that four-fifths of the extracted honey is still handled in 
that way. Allow the extractor to fill with honey until the revolv- 
ing baskets begin to swim in the honey. Then set the pail under 
the gate, lift the handle of the gate and hold it up until the pail is 
full. With the large gates now put on extractors, and with warm 
honey a pail will fill in about one-fourth of a minute. Now empty 
the pail into the tank, leaving it turned upside down to drain until 
the extractor needs emptying again. We have been all through 
the troubles which follow when the extractor is run with the gate 
open all the time. It is a poor and expensive way simply to close 
the gate when a full pail is exchanged for an empty one. The 
other way is much better. 
THE TOWNSEND UNCAPPING-BOX; THE ARRANGEMENT OF 
THE FURNITURE IN THE HONEY-HOUSE 
At our honey-houses at the extracting-yards we have a four- 
frame automatic extractor, a Townsend uncapping-box, a honey- 
tank provided with a strainer and a gate at the bottom, and plat- 
form scales with an electric bell attached to give warning when a 
can is full. Since we put in cans all of our honey as fast as it is 
extracted, we have on hand also a stock of 60-pound cans. Minor 
tools are necessary, such as uncapping-knives, pails, wash-dishes, 
towels, ete. 
Our extractors are the automatic four-frame machines, none 
older than the 1907 model. We disposed of all our small extract- 
ors, and also of the old four-frame Cowan machines, for we wished 
to have nothing but the most up-to-date tools to work with. 
Our Townsend uncapping-box is made of galvanized steel, 
and is 4 ft. long, 2 ft. high, 2 ft. wide, as shown in the engraving, 
p. 54. The slatted framework at the bottom is made smaller than 
the can so that it may be easily removed to be washed. As there 
is only a 114-inch space under this frame for honey storage, we 
