WAX. 



458 



WAX. 



the price of wax over and above what has al- 

 ready taken place, the time is not far distant 

 when bee-keepers having dark honeys will 

 do well to consider the possibility of making 

 wax-production a business. 



The new pure-food law will have no effect 

 one way or the other on the use of paraffine, 

 ceresin, and the like in any compound or 

 mixtures that do not belong either to the 

 food or drug classes. Electrotypers can use 

 a substitute for taking impressions, although 

 the great majority, we understand, prefer 

 pure beeswax, even at a higher price. Nat- 

 ural-wood finishers can still use paraffine and 

 ceresin; but most of them assert that there 

 is nothing to compare for that purpose with 

 pure beeswax. The first mentioned gives a 

 greasy, smenry finish, while the product from 

 the hive yields a highly polished surface- 

 one that stands wear as nothing else will; 

 a finish cheaper than hard oil— not by the 

 gallon, but to apply. 



The Roman Catholic Church uses large 

 quantities of beeswax in the form of caudles. 

 She does not tolerate paraffine, ceresin, nor 

 any of the mineral waxes, all of which give 

 off a nasty greasy odor, while burning, 

 whereas candles made of beeswax leave a 

 delightful perfume. Then, too, the burning 

 of mineral wax causes a deposit that injures 

 pictures, while beeswax mellows and pre- 

 serves them. 



Certain grades of blacking, harness oils, 

 and lubricants require pure beeswax in their 

 manufacture. A blacking containing bees- 

 wax will withstand more dampness than that 

 made of any other substance. 



The electrical-supply business is a consiun- 

 er of our product. The windings of the wire 

 are soaked in paraffine or beeswax— prefer- 

 ably the latter, because it seems less affected 

 by extremes of heat and by moisture. Pat- 

 tern-makers also use beeswax. The profes- 

 sion of dentistry consumes large quantities 

 of pure wax every year to take impressions 

 of the mouth. 



In all the arts, parafline, ceresin. and cer- 

 tain other mineral waxes can be used ; but, 

 if we are correctly informed, none of them 

 have all the desirable qualities furnished by 

 the product from the hive. 



WAX-EENDERING. 



SOLAR WAX -EXTRACTORS. 



It is said the sun wax-extractor was origi- 

 nated in California about the year 1862. At 

 that time it was used for extracting honey 

 from the combs. The honey-extractor of to- 

 day being then unknown, it is related that 



the early Californians extracted their honey 

 largely by means of the sun's heat. They 

 simply placed their cards of comb in large 

 trays covered with glass, where old Sol, by 

 the mere beaming of his countenance, did 

 the work. As the combs melted, the honey 

 and wax ran together into a receptacle. In 

 the evening, the wax, by reason of its lighter 

 weight, was hardening, and floated on the 

 surface of the honey. The Californians thus 

 practically accomplished two objects at one 

 and the same operation— extracting both 

 honey and wax— the latter already in mar- 

 ketable shape. As to the quality of the hon- 

 ey so separated from the combs, it is much 

 better than one would suppose, but inferior 

 to the ordinary extracted. Recently the use 

 of the solar wax-extractor has been restrict- 

 ed to the melting of wax. 



To a casual observer it seems almost in- 

 credible that wax can be melted by the aid 

 of the sun. It is well known to the bee- 

 keeper that little scraps of wax in summer 

 weather will melt on a hive-cover exposed 

 to the direct rays of the sun. If, therefore, 

 we cover a shallow box with a sheet of glass, 

 and place therein a piece of comb, it will util- 

 ize a much larger percentage of heat. Still 

 further, by collecting more rays of the sun, 

 and casting them into the box by means of a 

 reflector (a sheet of tin, for example), a cor- 

 respondingly greater increase of tempera- 

 ture may be expected. The reflector, how- 

 ever, is unnecessary, as sufficient heat is ob- 

 tained without it. 



THE DOOLITTLE SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR. 



This machine has had a very large sale. 

 Its general design is after a pattern made 

 and used by the well-known bee-keeper G. 

 M. Doolittle. The only objection to it is 

 that it is rather small, but just the right size 



