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The Swarm: Hruschka

Langstroth thus explains the origin of the honeyextractor, - "In 1865 the late Major de Hruschka, of Dolo, near Venice, Italy, invented 'Il Smelatore,' THE HONEY- EXTRACTOR.

It happened in this wise He had given to his son a small piece of comb-honey, on a plate. The boy put the plate in his basket, and swung the basket around him, like a sling.

Hruschka noticed that some honey had been drained out by the motion, and concluded that combs could be emptied by centrifugal force." "extrac- To-day the caps are cut from the cells of honey-comb by a broad thin knife and the comb placed in an tor," where it is rapidly revolved until the cells are empty. It is then returned to the bees that quickly repair any slight damage it may have received, and proceed to refill it.

Since wax is wholly indigestible and since honey freed from the comb in this way is pure and as good as when in the comb, extracted honey is deservedly acquiring popularity, though there still lingers the very justifiable prejudice against "strained honey" which prevents extracted honey from coming as quickly as it deserves into general use in families, most people not yet understanding the difference between the two. Honey Strained honey was obtained by pressing the combs, or by melting them, when the wax was taken from the top and the honey from below. Great carelessness in handling this honey and no care as to what kind of combs were pressed or melted resulted in a dark-colored liquid containing all sorts of disagreeable impurities, so it is no wonder there lingers a feeling of distaste for honey that has been removed from the combs.