26 BEE-FARMING. 



to the hive. They deposit their eggs in the interstices be- 

 tween the cracks in the hives, and are soon hatched by 

 the heat. In the fine wreather of April and May the hives 

 should be most carefully and frequently overhauled to pre- 

 vent the moth gaining an entrance into them. 



A little care in looking after the entrance is never lost. 

 Many bee-farmers overlook it as a trivial thing until injury 

 is done by robbers, or some other sly enemy, vi'hich comes 

 unperceived, and as slily works dreadful mischief. 



BRITISH BEE-FARMER'S HONEY- 

 EXTRACTOR. 



The simple honey-extractor which we figure below is 

 the best and most efficient that we have ever known. The 

 large and cumbrous wooden machine, first introduced from 

 Germany several years ago, and costing about 5^-) is too ex- 

 pensive for the large class of cottage bee-keepers in this 

 country ; it is also too big and unwieldy for the class of bee- 

 farmers we represent. We have seen one which would oc- 

 cupy the whole of a cottage parlour when in use, but the 

 one we now bring before the notice of our readers can easily 

 be made by any tin-worker, and costs only a few shillings. 



The body of the extractor is made of tin. It is merely 

 an inverted cone open at the base or neck, which, when in 

 use, is kept tightly closed with a cork ; the handle is made 

 of iron, with a rounded bend at the upper part. 



Closely fitting on the cone is the box (page 27) pre- 

 pared for the comb ; we fasten this on the cone by means 

 of a long piece of wire, so that the lid and afterwards 

 the box itself is securely fastened on the machine. The 

 lower part of the box, on which the comb rests, is made 

 of stout wires soldered on the tin edge about one quarter 

 of an inch apart, to allow the honey to run through 



