THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



71 



in opposite directions. In the center 

 of tlie follower, on top, is a 4 x 5-inch 

 steel plate, with an indentation in the 

 top for the screw to work in. Two 

 screws fasten this plate to the fol- 

 lower. The form (No. 4) is 15 inches 

 square and five inches deep. 



We now have the use of an old, 

 abandoned dwelling- house, at little ex- 

 pense; and, as our cappings and wax 

 material acumulate during the season, 

 they are stored here. Those from the 

 yards near home are stored about as 

 fast as they accumulate, as our honey 

 houses are small (12 x 16 ft.) and we 

 cannot spare the room to keep the 

 cappings there after the3' are throug-h 

 draining-. Those in the yards that we 

 . visit by rail, are barreled up and are 

 shipped home by freight, all in one lot, 

 after the season closes. 



SOME HINTS AND INSTRUCTIONS IN THE 

 RENDERING OF -WAX. 



We bougfit of a second hand dealer, 

 a large. No. 9, cook stove to use in 

 melting our wax. This stove is also 

 used for man}' other purposes, but was 

 put in mainl}' for rendering wax. 



The work of renderings wax is as 

 follows: Put a pail of clean, soft 

 water into a No. 9 wash boiler. Then 

 fill the boiler full of cappings; and, as 

 they melt down, add more, until the 

 boiler is as full as you can handle 

 conveniently — usually about two inches 

 from the top when melted. Be sure 

 the ca7)pings are chopped up fine before 

 putting them into the boiler, as they 

 will melt much quicker in this shape. 

 Don't forg-et, to also break up any 

 lumps that may form during the melt- 

 ing process. Our cappings are all 

 stored in cracker and sugar bar- 

 rels. You will need an open-top box, 

 not too deep, that will hold five or six 

 bushels. Throw into this box a bar- 

 rel of cappings; take an old ax, and 

 cut off the hoops and remove the staves, 

 then chop up the cappings with a 

 spade. This box is also used to chop 



up our wax in, when we re-melt it to 

 purify it. 



We will suppose you have a boiler of 

 wax on the stove. See to your fire that 

 it is not too hot. If you hav& a hot 

 fire, leave the gridles on the stove. 

 You will need a g-ood, long paddle to 

 keep the lumps well broken; a barrel 

 stave will answer. When the wax is 

 nearly all melted, keep stirring it, and 

 breaking up any chunks that may 

 form, always keeping in mind that 

 wax 7iever should be alloiued to boil dur- 

 ing this, or in subsequent meltings. 

 Just as soon as the last chunk is 

 melted, slide the boiler off the stove, 

 upon a barrel previously arranged the 

 same height as the stove. The wax is 

 now ready to go through the press. 

 See that the press-screw is clear up 

 out of the way, and the galvanized pan 

 (with the spout end) is in place. Next 

 put in one of the slatted frames, then 

 the form, when we are ready for the 

 30-inch square burlap. In selecting 

 burlap, get the thin, open kind, like 

 that peanuts come in, as the wax will 

 pass through this grade more readily. 

 Press the burlap down into the form, 

 set a galvanized wash tub under the 

 spout, (you will need three or four of 

 these tubs) then with a large dipper, 

 with a wooden handle, dip the wax 

 from the boiler to the press. You will 

 not need to put over two-thirds of the 

 melted wax through the press. With a 

 little care you can dip all the slumgum 

 off the top, so that quite a quantity of 

 the wax, water and honey can be 

 emptied directly into the tub, thus sav- 

 ihg the work of putting it all through 

 the press. When the form has been 

 filled, take hold of the two opposite 

 sides of the burlap, and move it up 

 and down; then do the same with the 

 two other sides. This works most of 

 the water and wax through the bur- 

 lap, out of the way, so we can handle 

 the slumgum to better advantage. 



We will suppose the wax is nearly 

 all out, that will come out without 



