GENEEAL AUTUMN WORK 173 



The axeman takes the honey and his partner the bees. 

 A swarm is almost always secured, but often times there 

 is little or no honey. 



The author has known oi' bee-trees in the ranges of 

 Victoria that yielded several sheets of white comb- 

 honey — up to eight feet long — and about eight Langs- 

 troth frames of nice brood. All healthy worker-comb 

 should be transferred to proper wired frames, — the baby 

 nuclei size is splendid for this purpose. Bee-trees are 

 best taken in autumn, because the maximum amount of 

 honey is then available, and the bees have little or no 

 brood. Should the hive be diseased, burn bees, comb, 

 and honey. If possible pile on the tree top so as to 

 destroy all traces of disease. 



MAKING HONEY- VINE GAR. 



Comb-honey from bee-trees is rarely quite free from 

 wood dust, punk and chips ; only occasionally nice white 

 comb is taken. When the honey will not pay to run over 

 the cappings-melter it had better be made into vinegar, 

 or else mead. Washings from honey-tins and the ex- 

 tractors may also be utilised. Soak and press the honey- 

 combs in rain water and at once strain off the liquid. 

 Before this syrup is cillowed to stand any time it should 

 be tested with a hydrometer — (an instrument for 

 testing the specific gravity of liquids). If the syrup 

 registers 11° "Beaume" it is about right to make good 

 vinegar. A number of apiarists use the rough test of a 

 fresh egg. Should this float with a small spot (about 

 the size of a sixpence) above the liquor the register is 

 close up to 11° B. This figure indicates the sj^rup to 

 contain about 3 lbs. of honey to every two gallons of 

 water, which is the proportion recommended. A weak 

 liquid ferments quicker, but the resulting vinegar is not 

 so good. 



The Pure Food Act requires vinegar to contain 6 per 

 cent, acetic acid, and to get this test use 1^ lbs. of honey 

 to each gallon of water. (Vinegar making is solely a 



