4 



38 



themselves may contain moisture (and it is absolutely certain that honey 

 containing air-bubbles quickly deteriorates), cannot rise or escape through 

 a deep mass of honey. 



With regard to the scum just mentioned, it is by no means uncommon 

 to find an unpleasant-looking film, or layer, anywhere between | in. and 

 ^in. deep on the top of honey in tins sent into the market. This is the 

 result of tinning it before it has been matured and skimmed, probably in 

 most cases through not having a suitable tank for tlie purpose. Honey, 

 like other commodities, must be put upon the market in its mo>-.t attractive 

 form if we wish to encourage the demand for it. 



HONEY-STRAINERS. 



The strainer in use at the State apiaries consists of a long shallow tin 

 box without a cover, and ^^■ith one-half the bottom formed of fine wire 

 gauze, and the other half of tin. This box reaches right across the double 

 tank (see page 39), and b}- turning it end for end the honey can be run 

 into either division. Inside the box two other loose strainers slip, the 

 upper one is a coarse strainer to catch dead bees, large pieces of wax, &c., 

 and the under one finer. These can be taken out and cleaned when required. 



A good plan, if the contour of the ground will allow of it, is to arrange 

 the honey-tank at a level 3 ft. or so below the extractor and strainer, so that 

 the honey, after passing through very fine meshes and thus being split up 

 into fine threads, shall fall that distance before reaching the tank. The 

 atmosphere being warm and dr^-, will absorb very much of the moisture in 

 the honey in its descent. 



SIZE OF HONEY-TANKS. 



This is a matter which most bee-farmers will decide for themselves 

 according to their needs and convenience, and it only remains for me to indi- 

 cate the depth I have proved by experience to be all that is required in a 

 ripening and maturing tank. 



I prefer tanks not deeper than 20 in., and they should not, even when 

 working on a large scale, exceed 24 in. Mr. E. W. Alexander used deeper 

 tanks, but finds them too deep, and recommends shallower ones. 



For an apiary of, say, two hundred colonies, two such tanks as the double 

 tank illustrated would in most cases answer the purpose. There is a great 

 advantage in dividing the tanks into compartments, so that the honey 

 from each day's extraiting may be left undisturbed until it has matured 

 and is ready to run into tins. It is unwise to run two or three davs' extract- 

 ing into the same tank, as the frequent disturbance is against the honev 

 maturing ])roperly. 



