88 SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



In going over the apiaries, all scrapings should be balled up at each hive, 

 and, when the cover is put on, the ball should be laid on top of it; and, 

 alter the work is done, gather up tjie balls of scrapings and comb, and 

 dump them into the wax-extractor. In transferring bees the empty comb 

 can be left in the old hives until the transferring is over; but if there is 

 any honey in the comb it should be placed in sacks or in boxes, for the 

 bees will tear the comb up while removing the honey, and much of it be 

 lost if it is left scattered about. As soon as the transferring is over, all 

 comb should be rendered up. 



Almost all old people understand how to make beeswax in the old- 

 style way, and it is a very good way too, but very messy, and sometimes 

 they get tired of the job, and a lot of wax is lost in the slumgum. 



A wax-extractor is the best device to render comb into wax. It 

 saves labor and wax, costs but little, and is simple to operate. 



After all the inferior comb has been rendered into wax in an apiary 

 a solar wax-extractor will do all the wax-rendering for it; but where trans- 

 ferring is done, or a lot of old comb is to be rendered, a wax-extractor 

 IS necessary, or some other device ; and the best one I have ever tried was 

 made out of an old box-hive that was made out of twelve-inch plank. • I 

 nailed a bottom on it so that it would extend out five or six inches on the 

 same side the entrance was on ; then I tacked two small strips on this 

 extended portion of the bottom so that, when the wax would run out at 

 the entrance, it would run off in a narrow stream. I make a stout lattice 

 bottom and put it down in the hive on the bottom so that it will not inter- 

 fere with the flow of the wax, elevating it from the bottom with a small 

 strip under it at each side. I set the hive on a solid foundation where I 

 could use a pry to press the slumgum. In this I put a new strong burlap 

 sack which had been used to put corn in, and spread the mouth of the 

 sack over the top of the gum, and tacked it to the hive so that, when the 

 slumgum was poured in it, it would not fall down in the gum. 



Then two lard-cans were filled about a third full of water, and set on 

 the fire; and as soon as the water was warm, comb was added from time 

 to time until they were nearly full. As soon as all the comb was melted, 

 a tub was set under the extended portion of the bottom so as to catch the 

 wax and water; then the cans of melted comb were melted into the sack in 

 the gum, the mouth of the sack closed, and the slumgum moved around 

 in the gum so as to let all the water and wax escape that would, then the 

 sack was well folded down on top of the slumgum, and a plunger, made 

 about the same size as the interior of the gum, and the pry put on this, 

 and the slumgum well pressed, then the pry removed, and the slumgum 

 shaken up well and pressed again. Now the cans were again partly filled 

 with water, and set on the fire; and, while the water was heating, nearly 

 a cupful of sulphuric acid was poured into the tub of water and wax to 

 drive or settle the impurities to the bottom of the tub; then the wax is 

 dipped off the top of the water and poured into vessels to cake. 



