25 



The person doing the uncapping is supplied with a special 

 knife with a beveled edge so that as he cuts or shaves off the 

 cappings they fall into the uncapping can and do not adhere to 

 the frame. The knife should be kept very sharp and when not 

 in use it should be placed in a pan of warm water as it is easier 

 to uncap when the knife is warm. Many have two knives, keep- 

 ing one in the water while the other is being used, changing from 

 time to time. These knives have a very long blade, much longer 

 than the width of a frame, so that all the cappings can be 

 removed at once. When one becomes accustomed to using these 

 knives the cappings are removed with very little trouble and 

 the work is done very quickly. 



The amount of wax obtained is generally sufficient to pay for 

 the labor of extracting, thus it pays to keep the uncappings. 



SHIPMENT OF HONEY. 



^ It is the practice of some of the bee-keepers on the island who 

 hve in districts where there are very poor roads and where -bar- 

 rels cannot be handled, to store their honey in five gallon cans sett- 

 ing them aside for transportation. When he is ready to send his 

 honey to market thecans are capped and are transported by mules 

 or burros to the coast. A burro can carry three cans of honey or a 

 load of about one hundred and eighty pounds. One can is 

 placed one on each side, the third is placed directly on the back. 



A RECORD OF PRODUCTION. 



The following honey records were taken from two hives of 

 bees which have been weighed every morning and evening for a 

 period of 138 and 147 days respectively: 



