Producing Good Honey 103 



barrels, and allowed the cappings to drain for weeks, or until they would 

 drain no more. One objection to this plan is the room occupied by the 

 barrels, but more serious still is the loss of the honey that does not drain 

 out. The bees can be allowed to dig out this honey, and carry it home, 

 but it would be more profitable to sell this honey at market prices, and 

 feed the bees sugar if they needed feeding. Besides, if there is any 

 possibility of there being a case or two of foul brood in the apiary, there 

 is then a possibility of sowing the seeds of the disease throughout the 

 apiary. For every ton of honey extracted, about fifty pounds of honey 

 will remain in the cappings after they have drained, and I know of no 

 method of getting it out in marketable condition. When the wax is 

 rendered the honey is ruined except for the making of vinegar or for 

 use in feeding the bees. 



EXTRACTING THE' HONEY. 



In Northern Michigan we have, or did have, three four-frame Root 

 automatic honey-extractors. In the past our idea has been to have a 

 complete outfit at each yard. As we use a two-horse team in going 

 to the out-apiaries, we have been considering the plan of having an 

 eight-frame extractor driven by a gasoline engine. Where only one 

 or two supers to the hive are employed, and the honey extracted before 

 the harvest is ended, to give room for more honey, thus calling for 

 expeditious work, I can see where the power-driven extractor of large 

 capacity would be of great help. Where men must be hired to help in 

 the work it might be used to advantage. 



The most of our extracting would be done in the fall or after the 

 hottest weather had passed, and I doubt if the honey would be so warm 

 as we make it in our warming ovens. I think much more honey would 

 be left in the combs than when the honey is heated up artificially. Now 

 then, it is just possible, yes, probable, that the power-driven extractor 

 might clean out those combs cleaner, even if the honey is not warmed 

 up artificially, than they could be cleaned by hand when the honey is 

 warmed. If the honey is extracted without warming, I think it is safe 

 to assume that the power-driven extractor would secure at least two 

 ounces more of honey from a Langstroth comb. To be safe, let us put 

 it at one pound from a ten-frame super. If we get 40 pounds of honey 

 from a ten-frame super we do well. In producing 20,000 pounds of 

 honey, our usual crop, we extract 500 supers. If my estimates are 

 correct, the use of power would save us 500 pounds of honey; thus an 

 engine would about pay for itself in one year. The expense of running 

 the engine would probably be not far different from that of warming 

 the honey. 



