ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 47 



feet at one end; this has a board on with a hole cut In the center that 

 will let the strainer go down through as far as the rim that has the 

 wire cloth fastened to. Then the pipe that conveys the honey to the 

 tanks has an elbow on, that we turn down over the strainer. This con- 

 ducting pipe Is made In sections about 12 feet long of heavy tin, and has a 

 bore of about 2 inches. We keep it painted on the outside to prevent rust- 

 ing. Now when all is ready we start the extractor and our honey Is deliv- 

 ered and strained into the tanks and we don't have to pay any attention 

 to it whatever. 



January, 1906. 



I now wish to write a few lines direct to my brother competitors 

 of extracted honey. The ever increasing demand for this product of 

 our apiary is inducing many to turn their attention toward its produc- 

 tion; and I hope to see you all so situated that you can produce it In the 

 future cheaper than It has ever been in the past; for this reason, and 

 this only, I write this article. If you have read the advertising columns 

 during the past year in our bee-journals as you should, you must have 

 noticed descriptions of an outfit for doing the most laborious part of 

 producing extracted honey by gasoline power. Many people naturally 

 hesitate In regard to investing their money in new implements, pre- 

 ferring to let (if I may be allowed to uae some street slang) the other 

 fellow invest his money first; then If it is all right they are ready to 

 Invest also. Now, my son and myself were just that other fellow that 

 was ready to test this outfit to its very core. With three first-class 

 extractors in perfect working order standing in our extracting-room we 

 bought an improved eight-comb extractor and a gasoline-engine, to do 

 our extracting. 



Well, as to results, the first test we gave It was to extract about 

 3000 lbs. of last year's capped candied honey. The combs were mostly 

 new and brittle, having been foundation last year, had never contained 

 any brood; neither were they wired in their frames, as we have not a 

 wired comb In our apiary. When the extractor was started and the 

 comb-baskets began to hum like a buzz-saw, I at once knew that the 

 old candied honey would have to leave the combs, which it did quite 

 clean; but I expected that the combs and their frames would then and 

 there dissolve partnership; but, not so. They were so well supported 

 by the comb-baskets that we could not find a cracked or broken comb in 

 the lot. The reversing of the reel is so perfect that you don't have to 

 stop either engine or extractor in order to do this part. Taking it as 

 a whole, it is certainly one of the most advanced steps in relieving us 

 of laborious work ever made in modern bee-keeping. 



Now the question is, in your mind, "Can I afford to buy this outfit?" 

 Well, I win tell you what it is doing for us; then you can answer that 



