The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-09-22

bees approvethe work, though they al
ways thin the walls considerably, and
course build them higher. At one
time the cell bottoms were made flat,
but as the bees would always recon
struct them after their own ideas,
that is, concave, the six sides forming
three lozenges meeting in the center,
the machines were made to satisfy
the fastidious bee in this particular.
In the great apiary every scrap and
shaving of old comb is melted,
strained, and made into clean golden
sheets of foundation for the ma
chine can do what the bee has no
power to do-make new comb out
Of old. Wax is a secretion under
the rings OF the bees body. 1t is
thrown off, apparently at will, in
tiny scales, which are plastic from
the warmth OF the body, and after
being laid and moulded, they cool
and harden. The bee is an artist
whose work, like that OF the tresco
painter, must be perfect at first, for
there is no rubbing out or undoing
in any way, except by utterly des'
troying.
Comb foundation has another and
far greater merit than that of saving
labor to the bee II secures per-
tectly even, straight comb for each
frame. Or into the large frame
there may be set eight little one
pound frames, each with its tounda-
tion starter and if these are
placed in second hive set on the
top of the first, the bees will very
rarely rear brood in them, bat fill
them with clear honey. Thus we
have the beautiful little pound frames
OF capped honey.
The invention of the movable
frame was ottheutmost Importance
10 bee culture; it was impossible to
have a colony OF bees under control
without it. These frames completely
fill the whole hive, except the space
ofabout halt ali inch between every
two frames. You lift off your hive
cover, which fits nicely without any
fastening, and your whole colony is
under your eye. 1t you wish to ex-
anime your queen, you lift out one
frame after another, search for her
among the mass OF bees covering the
comb, always replacing the frame
carefully without crushing your bees.
AS rule, bees do not sting. They
are the most paliAAt.- ong.suffering,
gentlest little beingsin the world. l
have often and often opened hive
in this way, lifting out frame after
frame, removing all the honey from
one or more, and to 10 this brushing
off the bees by hundreds with a
wing i; stepped upon or otherwise
crushed several bees III the operation,
and yet without receiving a sting,
unless.I had awkwardly pinched a
bee, OF squeezed him against my
flesh, when, OF course, ! deserved my
punishment, and took it philosophy
cally. And this without using the
smoker, but of course it is more pru-
dent to use it.
Another wonder of modern bee
culture is peculiar method of ex-
tracing the honey from the comb by
means Of a Till cylinder with verti-
cal shaft i'll the center, 1t has a bot
tom, and a tightly fitting cover
through which the shaft projects.
The shaft is furnished with a crank.
Sheets of comb, or frames full OF
comb, are set perpendicularly in a
frame work fitted to the shaft. On
turning the crank rapidly the honey
flies out by centrifugal force, leaving
intact the brood cells, if there are
any, The honey extracted, the
frames are returned to the hive, and
the patient little bees clean up every
"smob" of honey, mend every torn
cell, il there be any, and then go to
work reflling the comb with honey.
Extracted honey is certainly the
perfection OF the product, though
honey in the comb as yet brings the
higher price. People say it's because
it is more beautiful to the eye; but
this can not he true. Served in a
stand OF crystal, extracted or clear
honey, golden in color, and translu-
cent as the crystal itself-Mhat object
more elegant upon a well appointed
tea table?
The Caterpillar Scientifically Con-