The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-11-12
THE Farm.
North American Bee Keepers
Society.

HIS SOCleIy hSio ACS lin dnuual
convention October l2-l4 at Indian
apolis, Ind, several other organizations
of bee keepers joining it in convention.
The process of converting comb into
bees.wax was thoroughly explained in a
paper by G. P. Dadant, Illinois. This
can be accomplished by artificial or SOL
ar heat; but many inexperienced per-
sons spoil their wax either by melting
it without water, by overlooking, or by
using dirty iron kettles. When comb
is melted over the stove it is not abso-
lutely necessary to have an apparatus
made especially for the purpose. Any
ordinary boiler will answer, but plenty
of water must be used and only mod.
crate heat should be applied. When
the wax is melted basket of wire cloth
can be placed inside the boiler and sunk
down in the melted wax. The wax can
then be dipped up inside the basket of
wire cloth which acts as strainer, and
prevents the coarser impurieties from
being dipped up. Even the oldest and
blacklist combs will make nice yellow
wax when thus treated; but, as matter
of course, wax extractor will leave the
wax cleaner at the first melting. If
steam is used in melting comb it ought
not to be turned directly upon the comb,
but into water below it, the steam often
damaging the wax, giving 1t a granular
character and greenish color. This un-
pleasant result is sometimes brought
about by overlooking. Ifsome wax re-
mains in the dregs it is not advisable
to throw it away; put it in box and
expose it to the weather which will dis
solve the foreign substances, but not
the wax, when it can be re melted.
Cappings of honey, removed when ex-
tracing, ought first to be allowed to
drain, and then be washed, the sweet
ened water thus obtained can be used
in making vinegar. The solar wax ex.
tractor makes the best wax, as it not
only NETS but partially bleaches it. So
far but Little use has been made of this
invention, but the time is not far distant
when it will superseds the steam or
stove wax extractor.
0. 0. Poppleton, Iowa. said that he
discovered the use of solar heat for
melting wax, about 10 years ago, when
he was experimenting in wintering bees
under glass. The heat of the sun melt.
ed the w.x. The melted wax from
solar * extractor ought not to stand
in tie shade, but in the suns rays,
where the wax will remain in liquid
state which allows the impurities to
settle, when the pure wax can be dip,
ped off the top, From 500 old combs,
each one foot square, he had secured
100 pounds of wax. A. /. Root, Ohio,
said that those who had small quantities
Of wax to render could put the combs
into sieve, set the sieve and contents
in dish pan, and place all in stove
oven, when the wax would melt and run
through into the pan.
Mr.. N N. Betsinger, of New York,
gave history of "separators;" that is
sheets of wood, tin or some other sub
stance laced between the sections for
the purpose Of compelling the bees to
build straight combs Glass was first
used, but the breakage was great, and
the bees attached many combs to the
glass. They also attached combs to
wood, an |. strange though it may ap-
pear, the mDother the wood the greater
the trouble. This same objection ap-
plies to tne use Of tin. Mr.. Betsinger
believes that the use Of any unperforat-
ed substance for separators lessons The
crop OF honey, hence he has, for the
past four years, been using wire cloth
for this purpose. The meshes are four
to the inch, which allows the bees to
freely pass through. After the wire is
woven it is dipped in molten metal,
which fixes the wires so that the mesh
es will emain of the same size. Mr..
D has patent upon his invention.
Upon the subject of"Honey Plants"
n. A. |, Root, Ohio, said that it is de-
.irable thrt plant should be cultivat-
sd for something aside from the furnish
ng Of honey. For this purpose Alsike
Glover stands at the head; buckwheat
comes next, then rape and raspberries.
He was not certain that there are any
plants that it would be profitable to
raise for honey alone; possibly there are
n few Sweet clover fowort sD;dar