TAKING HONEY AND WAX. 139 



squeezing ; and yet where there is much pollen amongst 

 the honey, we have found the squeezing process safer and 

 better than that of cutting the combs with a knife. In 

 the case of heather - honey some pressure is absolutely 

 necessary, for it will not run without it. 



We have seen instruments for pressing honey from 

 combs. Though small and imperfect, they did their work 

 well, but the process was slow and tedious. We earnestly 

 hope that the ingenuity of somebee-keeper will soon furnish 

 us with an instrument which will enable apiarians to take 

 hundredweights of honey from combs, easily and speedily. 



" Have you never seen the American machine called 

 the SUnger?" Yes, we have seen several of them, and 

 tried one here that was highly commended at the apiarian 

 fete that came off at the Crystal Palace in September 1874. 

 We regret that its trial here was disappointing; for though 

 it cast the clover-honey from the combs by the action of 

 centrifugal force, it could not cast or sling off the heather- 

 honey in the same way. Heather-honey is beyond the 

 power of " the American Slinger," or honey-extractor. 



The SHnger is intended for use with bar-frame hives — 

 that is to say, by apiarians who adopt the movable-comb 

 system of management. When honey is wanted, the 

 bars of combs are taken from the hives, the Hds are cut 

 off the honey portions of the comb with a knife, two are 

 placed in the Slinger, the revolving action of the instru- 

 ment slings the honey from the cells, and then the 

 combs are replaced in the hive. It casts the clover-honey 

 out pretty well; but, as we have said, heather-honey wiU not 

 go at the command of this American instrument, however 

 fast it revolves. The value of this instrument, we are told, 

 is that it takes the honey without destroying the combs, 

 and thus saves the bees from wasting much honey in 

 building more combs. In much that is said about the 

 Slinger by its patrons and advocates (who are chiefly 



