1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE^ 



103 



there is no need of nails for pinning the edges 

 together.* Phxc-e the cleated follower on top 

 of the burlap, with the cleats running toward 

 the spout, and then push the can back under 



Fig- 7. — The press tipped up on edge to allow the 

 last of the wax and water to drain out. 



the screw. Apply the pressure slowly, turn- 

 ing the screw tlown more and more as the 

 wax and water run out into the pail or can 

 beneath. When but little runs out, it is best 

 to tip the whole press up on edge as shown 

 in Fig. 7, and keep it there for a few mo- 

 ments to allow all the wax and water to 

 drain out. The screw should be turned down 

 a little more, and then the press tipped up 

 again. This is to be repeated until no more 

 wax runs out, when the screw should be 

 raised, the cleated follower lifted out, (see 

 Fig. 8). and the cheese, which should not be 

 more than f of an inch thick, shaken up or 

 doubled over on itself. The cleated follower 

 is now replaced, and the pressure applied 

 again. When no more wax or water will 

 run out, the screw is raised, the follower set 

 to one side, and the contents of the burlap 

 shaken into a large box near by. This oper- 

 ation is gone through with until there is no 

 more melted comb in the boiler, when work 

 may be begun on tlie second boiler, the con- 

 tents of which by this time will have come 

 to a boil, and the hrst one may be tilled with 

 fresh comb and water. 



The refuse from the press, which has been 

 shaken out in the large box, is not yet free 

 froin wax. and I wish to make this point 

 plainly understood. The results which I will 

 give later along with many others not here 

 mentioned show conclusively that one treat- 



* Instead of burlap, cheese-cloth has often heenlused, 

 but in my opinion the wax and water do not run 

 throutrh it as readily, and it is not as strong, either. 

 But the refuse shakes out of it much easier than out 

 of burlap, and it mitiht be well to use cheese-cloth in- 

 side of burlap. I have never tried this, however, and 

 do not know that it would be satisfactory. 



ment as above described will I'emove only 

 from 88 to 93 per cent of the total amount 

 of wax. The refuse will look perfectly clean 

 and dry, and many will be deceived and throw 

 it awav, thinking'it not worth a second melt- 

 ing; but from ((uite a good many samples 

 that I have tested from different lots of ref- 

 use that have been sent in from other pro- 

 ducers I am very sure that there is a waste 

 of from eight to twelve per cent of the wax 

 unless the refuse is run through again. For 

 this reason, when a sufficient amount has ac- 

 cumulated it is well to put it back in one of 

 the boilers and boil it again with water. The 

 second tx-eatment will take a little over half 

 the time the tirst did; but the average bee- 

 keeper can well afford to do it. 



Since it is necessary to work rapidly and 

 to keep the inside of the press exposed to the 

 air as little as possible to keep it from getting 

 cold, it may seem to many that this process 

 is exceedingly slow and laborious; but a trial 

 will show that such is not the case. I have 

 Iseen able, time after time, to raise the screw, 

 remove the follower, double the cheese over 

 on itself, and apply the pressure again, in 

 only teii seconds. I will admit that I worked 

 rather fast; Init it is very easy to do all this 

 in fifteen seconds. Oi", the screw may be 

 raised, the refuse shaken out, and a new lot 

 of melted comb put in, and the pressure ap- 

 plied again in but thirty seconds. But if 

 one does not wish to work cpiite so fast he 

 can do it easily in forty seconds. Some pro- 

 ducers, instead of putting the refuse back in- 

 to a boiler and entirely remelting it after it 

 has been through the press once, follow the 



Fig. 8. — The screw raised and the cleated follower 

 removed to allow the cheese to be shaken up, 



