EXTRACTED HONEY. 2 9 



of injury, while the quantity which can be taken from a hive 

 is at least one-half greater than of section or comb 

 honey, by reason of the bees being saved the labour of comb 

 building, and, therefore, having nothing to do but gather 

 honey. For the production of extracted honey to the best 

 advantage, an appliance called a honey extractor is required, 

 and the hive differs considerably from the one last described. 

 The extractor consists of a strong tin cylinder, about two 

 feet in height, and twenty inches in diameter. In the 

 cylinder are two flat cages, each large enough to hold a 

 frame of comb, which are attached to and revolve with a 

 vertical spindle, the lower end of which rests on the bottom 

 of the cylinder, while on the top there is fixed a small 

 toothed wheel, which gears into a larger wheel, to which a 

 handle is attached. At the bottom of the cylinder there is 

 a treacle tap, to let the honey out. A hive intended for ex- 

 tracting is usually made to hold ten frames of the ordinary 

 size, but instead of the super cover and roof, a second 

 story, similar in every respect, except that it has no floor- 

 board, is placed over the first. Sometimes, in very good 

 districts, a third story is used, but for most purposes a two- 

 storied hive will do very well. To work this hive for ex- 

 tracted honey, the lower story is tenanted in the ordinary 

 way with a stock of bees, with the necessary combs. About 

 the middle of June the quilt is removed, and the second 

 story is placed on the first one. The combs of brood are 

 then taken from a second stock (the bees and queen being 

 shaken off the combs back into their own hive) i^.id placed 

 in the upper story, so that the hive contains twenty frames 

 of brood. As the maturing bees emerge from the two sets 

 of combs, the hive soon becomes very strong, and the honey, 

 which is brought in rapidly, is stored in the upper set of 

 combs. About a fortnight later the combs may be examined, 

 when it will be found that some of them are clear of brood 

 and are filled with honey, some of which is capped or sealed 

 over. When this capping extends about two-thirds the 

 depth of the comb, the honey may be considered ripe, and 

 fit for extracting. In an apiary of four or five stocks, about 

 eight or ten such combs might be selected, and extracted 

 from everv second dav or so for three weeks, and the weight 



