14i FIFTY YEAES AMONG THE BEES 



"I next tried scrubbing them with a broom in the boiling 

 water, but it would not work. I meditated awhile, then con- 

 cluded I would try concentrated lye, provided Dr. Miller did 

 not object. I did not know what effect the lye would have on 

 the tins. He said I might try it. I put the boiler back on the 

 stove to try once more. I did not feel quite so sanguine as I 

 poured in part of a can of concentrated lye. 



"I did not leave it this time, but anxiously watched to see 

 what, effect it would have. It brought it off pretty' well, but was 

 not quite strong enough. I put in the rest of the can of lye, 

 and eureka ! the propolis disappeared as if by magic. I stirred 

 the tins with the poker to insure the lye reaching all parts of 

 them; then with the tongs I lifted them into a tub and rinsed 

 them off with cold water and set them up in the sun to drain, 

 as bright and as clean as when they came from the tinner's. 



"I filled up the boiler with T tins again, and so on, until 

 the strength of the lye was all used up, when I turned it out, 

 filled up the boiler afresh, and began all over again, continuing 

 until they were all done. I used a can of lye to a boiler of 

 water. 



"Every time I fill up a super with the nice clean T tins I 

 feel more than paid for the work it took to make them so. T 

 am pretty sure that washing fluid would clean them almost if 

 not quite as well as the concentrated lye, provided it were used 

 strong enough, although I have never tried it. Howeve^, T 

 think I should prefer the lye, as it does the work most thor- 

 ojighly and does not hurt the T tins in the least that I can see. 



"If you have a lot of dirty T tins I advise you to clean 

 them in this way, and see if you are not as delighted as I was 

 to see them come out so bright and clean. Be sure to use 

 Ijlenty of water in rinsing them off." 



WETTING SECTIONS. 



The well-known Hubbard section-press is used for putting 

 the sections together. If the sections are fresh from the manu- 

 facturer and as good as they ought to be, they can be put to- 

 gether at once without any preparation. If they have been held 

 over from the previous year they may be so dry that top many 



