24 



a small amount of honey is being gathered it is very liable 

 to start robbing. 



EXTRACTORS. 



A number of extractors are on the market but most of them 

 are very similar in design. They consist of a large can contain- 

 ing two or more wire baskets which revolve about a center axis 

 in the can. The uncapped frames are placed in the baskets and, 

 when in motion, the honey is thrown out by centrifugal force. 

 These baskets are conected with a gear operated by a handle on 



the outside. j-i, + +i. 



The first extractors made had stationary baskets so tiiat tne 

 frames of honey had to be taken out and turned in order 

 to extract the other side. At the present time extractors are 

 being used with reversible baskets which does away with the 

 necessity of removing the frames from the can in order to turn 

 them. There are also automatic reversible extractors on the 

 market which are great labor savers. 



UNCAPPING CANS AND KNIVES. 



There are a number of different styles of uncapping cans in 

 use. Some are nothing more than a large tank with a seive 

 placed six inches or a foot from the bottom of the can on which 

 the cappings fall and the honey drains from them falling to the 

 bottom of the can. The cans are generally made of galvanized 

 iron and are always provided with a honey gate to draw off the 

 honey. The honey is strained and added to the honey which 

 comes from the extractor. Uncapping cans of this type are some- 

 times used as storage tanks after the uncapping has been 

 done. Cappings are left to drain for a number of days, then 

 washed, and the water in which they are cleaned is used for mak- 

 ing vinegar. The wax is then melted and placed in tins to cool. 



Another kind of uncapping can consists of two tanks, 

 one inside the other and between the two there is a space of one 

 quarter to three-eighths of an inch. This space is filled with water 

 and a fire is made below the can to heat it. The heat melts the wax 

 and the honey and melted wax flows out through the honey gate 

 and is collected in tins. It is then allowed to cool and the wax 

 comes to the surface, leaving the clear honey below. The wax is 

 then taken out and the honey added to that which comes from the 

 extractor. 



The space between the two cans is used for keeping the 

 uncapping knives warm and clean. 



This type of uncapping can is a good time saver as one does 

 not have to bother with washing and molding the wax. Wax 

 collected in this way is very clean and does not need to be 

 rendered as all the particles of pollen and propolis remain in the 

 uncapping can. There are two sets of strainers in the uncapping 

 can, one in which the meshes are much larger than in the other, 

 the inner sieve having the larger meshes of the two. In using 

 uncapping cans of this type all the wax is saved and very little 

 honey is lost. 



