308 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



found with old black combs, that I think I 

 should throw them away, and use new ones 

 each time. The more compactly the wax is 

 put into the bags, the less number of bags 

 will be needed. 



"Where one has cappings from the extract- 

 or, they should not be put witli old dark 

 combs, but worked by themselves, for they 

 are almost pure wax. I have seen cappings 

 from new white combs produce wax so near- 

 ly white that it would readily sell for 

 bleached wax. 



The wax of commerce, when it is bought 

 in quantities, is composed of cakes of 

 all sizes, and of all colors from nearly 

 white to nearly black, the intermediate 

 shades comprising almost all the colors 

 of the rainbow. Where it contains much 

 refuse, it can be improved by putting it 

 through either of the presses described 

 above, and, in fact, almost any wax can be 

 made cleaner and brighter by being put 

 through the extractor two or three times. 

 It has been our practice, in using it for fdn., 

 to select the cleanest and nicest cakes for 

 the thin fdn., to be used in the honey boxes, 

 and the darker for the brood fdn., for the 

 latter, I think, is less liable to sag and 

 stretch than the very light yellow. Wax, as 

 it comes from the hives, varies greatly in 

 hardness. Some specimens are so soft that 

 it seems as if they could not stand the 

 weight of the bees at all, when made into 

 sheets of fdn., while others are so hard that 

 it is difficult to roll them at ordinary temper- 

 atures. If I am correct, the soft wax can 

 often be worked into comb better than the 

 hard. This is because it does not continue 

 to soften, in the same proportion, as the 

 temperature is raised. As an illustration, 

 take paraffine. It is too hard to be worked 

 ordinarily, but if warmed to the right de- 

 gree, it makes beautiful looking fdn. If 

 given to the bees during moderate spring 

 weather, it is worked out into beautiful 

 comb, and filled with honey ; but when the 

 extreme heat of midsummer comes, these 

 beautiful looking combs, with their precious 

 load of sweets, will soften and fall down in- 

 to a heap. This fact I learned by exper- 

 ience that cost me a hundred dollars or 

 more. The admixture of the least particle 

 of paraffine is sure to give the wax a tenden- 

 cy to stretch and sag, and, on this account, 

 I would not advise it; for it is a serious 

 matter to send out fdn. that may endanger 

 the life of a colony, by breaking down when 

 heavily filled with honey. I have been told 

 that, with wires stretched at frequent inter- 



vals, say every inch through the frame, it 

 can be used without danger ; and, as the 

 bees work it out into combs faster than I 

 ever saw them work natural wax, it may be 

 practicable to use it in that way, after all, 

 when mixed with a sufficient quantity of 

 wax to make a sure thing of the side walls. 

 After a comb has been once used for brood, 

 the cocoons left give it sufficient strength 

 and firmness to be ever afterward safe. 



CLEANING WAX FROM UTENSILS. 



Perhaps the readiest means is to immerse 

 them in boiling water until all the wax. is 

 thoroughly melted off, then drain, while 

 kept hot, until the wax which adheres to 

 them when being lifted from the water is 

 thoroughly melted, and can be wiped off 

 with soft newspaper. Where the article 

 cannot be easily immersed, benzine or a so- 

 lution of sal soda will readily dissolve the 

 wax, so it may be cleaned off with a cloth. 

 Benzine dissolves wax almost as readily as 

 water dissolves sugar. 



Caution in handling wax. I have spoken 

 about order, care, and cleanliness, in hand- 

 ling honey, candy, etc.; now, my friends, it 

 is a much more serious thing to daub melted 

 wax about the house, on the carpets and on 

 your clothes, than it is to daub either honey 

 or candy. You can very easily spoil a dol- 

 lar's worth of clothing while fussing with 

 10c. worth of wax, as I know by experience. 

 When you commence, bear this in mind, 

 and resolve that you are going to have 

 things clean and neat at every step, no mat- 

 ter what the cost. Newspapers are very 

 cheap, and it takes but a minute to spread 

 them all around the room where your wax 

 may be dropped. Have every thing, at 

 every stage, in such order that you would 

 not be ashamed of your work, should vis- 

 itors call unexpectedly. The greatest trials 

 I have ever had with boys and girls, in try- 

 ing to teach them neatness and order, has 

 been with those in the wax room ; they will 

 drop little bits of wax, and step on them. 

 My friend, if you cannot learn to avoid step- 

 ping on bees, or dropping and stepping on 

 wax and honey, while you are at work, you 

 would better stop right here, and give up try- 

 ing to be a bee-keeper. I do not know but 

 you might also give up all thoughts of ever 

 trying to be happy anywhere. You certainly 

 cannot be wanted in this world, and I am 

 not sure you will be wanted in heaven, if 

 you go about carelessly treading on things, 

 and sticking and daubing honey and bees- 

 wax every where you go. 



