230 GENERAL HONEY HARVEST. 



is pierced closely with holes, each the 16th or 20th of 

 an inch in diameter. Above the bottom, inside, and 

 at the distance of an inch from it, stands upon four 



feet, a stage, A, of the same shape and size. 



made of wire cloth, of \ inch mesh. Under the 

 hottom, is fixed a piece of fine muslin, B, the edges 

 of which are brought out at the joining of the two 

 vessels. In using this apparatus, the combs being 

 sliced horizontally through the cells, are laid with the 

 cut side undermost upon the wire cloth stage, which 

 retains all the bulky part of the wax, and prevents it 

 from clogging the holes below ; the honey drops upon 

 the bottom, and runs through the small holes which 

 prevent the lesser particles of wax from getting 

 through, while the muslin below causes it to flow in 

 almost perfect purity into the under vessel, from 

 whence it issues through the spigot into the store- 

 jars. A cover put on the top vessel, after the sliced 

 comb has been deposited, completes the exclusion of 

 the external air, with which the honey never comes 

 in contact till it runs from the spigot. The wax is 

 next to be attended to, and there cannot be, perhaps, 

 a simpler and more effectual direction for its manipu- 

 lation than that which is given by the Abbe della 

 Rocca. The wax is put into a woollen bag, firmly 

 tied at the mouth ; the bag is plunged into a pan of 

 boiling water; the pure material oozes through the 

 cloth, and swims on the surface ; it is carefully 

 skimmed off, as long as any continues to rise, and 

 poured into a shallow earthen bowl, which is pre- 

 viously wetted to prevent the wax from adhering to 



