296 
Beekeeping 
the wax to cool on top of a little of the honey. A small cap¬ 
ping melter (Fig. 119) is now marketed, but for extensive 
operations it is preferable to make a larger tank (Fig. 122) 
on this principle. In these melters the honey and wax 
come in contact only with the inner wall of a water jacket 
and do not touch metal which is in direct contact with the 
flame. The objection has been raised that the heating of 
the honey in this way discolors it, but if it runs off and is 
separated from the melted wax 
quickly this is reduced to a mini¬ 
mum. Apparatus of this type has 
been adopted by numerous exten¬ 
sive producers. The relief from the 
care of a great mass of cappings at 
the end of extracting certainly ap¬ 
peals to the extensive beekeeper. 
Types of extractors. 
After the comb is uncapped on 
both sides it is ready for the ex¬ 
tractor. The development of the 
extractor from the first simple 
clumsy machines is of interest and 
illustrates nicely the progress of 
beekeeping in recent years. Following the announcement 
' of the invention 1 of the extractor in Italy, the first type 
marketed in the United States consisted of a revolving 
can' into which frames were placed in pockets and the can 
was revolved by means of a handle directly attached. 
The next step, and a most important one, was to make 
the can stationary (Fig. 121), the frames being placed in 
baskets attached to a central axis which is driven with a 
gear. The “Novice” extractors (1869) are of this type, 
Fig. 121. — Extractor with 
stationary can. 
1 The removal of honey by centrifugal force was discovered accidentally, 
de Hruschka gave his son a comb on a plate. He put this in a basket and, 
boy-like, swung the basket around him. de Hruschka noticed that some 
honey was drained out and thereby got the basic idea for the extractor. 
