140 BEEHIVES AND BEE KEEPERS' APPLIANCES. 



at both ends, that in the basket is closed on top 

 with a piece of plain tinplate the cover of a 

 coffee canister does capitally. 



Three legs of doubled tinplate are soldered, 

 equidistant from each other, to the lower edges of 

 the comb basket so as to keep the bottom 1 in. 

 from that of the steamer. In Fig. 130 the three 

 parts as drawn are separated from each other, 

 but they would fit down into place in actual use. 



To use the Gerster extractor, water is placed 

 in the boiler, which is then put over a fire ; the 

 combs are smashed up and put in the comb basket, 

 which is put into place, and the cover fits over 

 all, and keeps in the steam. Presently, when the 

 water begins to boil, the steam passes up through 

 the centre tube of the steamer, hits against the 

 closed top of the basket tube, and is disseminated 

 through the combs, which it soon reduces to a 

 fluid state. The wax and condensed steam run 

 through the tube D into a vessel placed for their 

 reception, while the dirt and refuse remain in the 

 comb basket. In Fig. 130, A and D indicate the 

 pipes ; B the boiler ; c the comb basket ; and s the 

 steamer. 



The basket can be cleaned by a liberal appli- 

 cation of hot water in which washing soda has been 

 dissolved, and the point of a brush will take out 

 any stubborn pieces of dirt. 



All pieces of apparatus should be kept scrupu- 

 lously clean. 



