POINTS ABOUT BEESWAX 133 



comb is melted by steam and in some by hot water; 

 in others the heated wax is dipped from a kettle of 

 hot water and poured into the press. 



The German steam wax-press is in general use in 

 America, Mr. Root having an improvement on it. 

 It is a strongly built can, at the bottom of which is a 

 place for water, and above it an arrangement to 

 receive the wax drippings. A basket of perforated 

 metal holds the comb and occupies the larger and 

 upper part of the can ; a follower worked by a screw 

 presses down upon the heated comb and forces the 

 wax down and out through a spigot. This machine 

 weighs sixty pounds and costs fourteen dollars, and 

 if the apiary contains more than forty hives of 

 bees, such a wax-press will pay for itself soon with 

 the wax which would otherwise be lost. 



We have seen one home-made press constructed 

 from a half barrel worked by the machinery of a 

 cheese-press. The follower was cleated on the under 

 side, and the barrel was filled with boiling water; 

 the wax as it was pressed out was run off by a spout 

 at the top. Another which was used successfully 

 was simply a box with cleated bottom and a cleated 

 follower into which the hot wax was poured and 

 pressed out most successfully. One of the wax 

 presses used by many is called the Hatch-Gemmill 

 press, which is run on the principle of dipping the 

 hot wax off hot water and squeezing it through the 

 press. 



