1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



781 



and shipped to us from the eastern part of 

 the State; and from the ten barrels 1 got 500 

 lbs. of wax. This was over 20 j^ears ago. and 

 was made up on a press from an idea that I 

 got about 25 years ago from Wm. Cary, of 

 Massachusetts. 



I should like to add to your directions for 

 using the Hatch press, as given in Jan. 15th 

 Gleanings, the following: On p. 102, at top 

 of seconil column, you say, "push the boiler 

 to the edge of the stov.e. The best work will 

 be done with the old combs kept boiling all 

 the time. There will be no danger about 

 the wax burning so long as there is water in 

 the boiler. When ready to dip into the 

 press, stir the mush thoroughly so that the 

 part that was floating on top would be stir- 

 red under." You probably noticed that, if 

 this was left on top for a time, a thin film of 

 wax would cover all. By stirring and keep- 

 ing boiling, this will be liept from so doing, 

 and will work better in pressing. 



Syracuse, N. Y. 



[These experiments are very interesting, 

 for they bring out facts that are of practical 

 interest to all producer's of and dealers in 

 wax. It seems now to be pretty well proven 

 that all wax has a slightly acid reaction, and 

 so, when it is kept for any length of time at 

 a high temperature, in contact with a metal, 

 a chemical action seems to set in between 

 the acid in the wax and the metal. This 

 would account for the great discoloration, 

 especially of the wax melted in the copper 

 dish, for this sample was a bi'illiant bluish 

 green, with not a trace of the foimer yellow 

 color. Most of the salts of copper are either 

 blue or green in color, so it would be highly 

 probable that the color of the sample from 

 the copper dish could be accounted for by 

 the presence of acid. The wax from the zinc 

 dish was very dark — a deep brown instead 

 of the original lemon yellow. The samples 

 from the other dishes were also darker than 

 the original, although not so dark as those 

 from the copper and the zinc. 



It is thus shown quite conclusively that 

 copper and zinc had better not be used in 

 connection with wax. The other metals are 

 not so objectionable, and we think it would 

 1)6 perfectly safe to use black iron or tin. In 

 our opinion, the wax fi'om the tin dish had a 

 better color than any of the rest that was 

 heated. If, instead of 24 hours, the wax had 

 been kept melted but one hour in the metal 

 dishes, there would probably not have been 

 any discoloration, even to that melted in 

 copper, unless the temperature had been 

 kept pretty high. But since there is always 

 some danger of overheating, it would be bet- 

 ter in the end to use iron or tin. 



The wax passes through the Hatch press 

 so quickly that there is no discoloration — at 

 least we always obtain the brightest yellow 

 wax. We have tried an unhealed press, con- 

 structed entirely of wood, side by side with 

 i)ne made of tin, and in rendering the same 

 batch of melted comb the wax fnmi the two 

 presses showed no difference in color. Steam 

 and hot-water presses, however, because of 

 the greater and longer continued heat, ai"e 



sure to di.scolorthe wax more or less, and for 

 this reason it would be desirable to have them 

 constructed of wood. But as this is clearly 

 impracticable, tin or black iron is the best 

 material. 



Our readers will remember that Mr. Sails- 

 bury is an enthusiast of the unheat'ed press 

 for rendering wax. In the May 15th issue of 

 Gleanings for 1903 he described his press 

 and gave his method of rendering. It was 

 this article which first attracted our attention 

 to the fact that the unhealed press yields 

 wax that needs no reiining. 



If Mr. Salisbury will take some of the ref- 

 use from his press, and run it through a sec- 

 ond time, we believe he will tind enough 

 wax t(j warrant the extra time and labor. 

 After the two treatments, there should not 

 lie more than 2 per cent of the wax Avasted: 

 but, if desired, the refuse can be run through 

 a third time. a:».d the percentage of loss re- 

 duced to less than 1 per cent; and the strange 

 thing about it is, that even three treatments 

 can be given in almost the same time that it 

 would take to extract the wax in a hot-water 

 press costing considei'ably more, and yielding 

 a slightly darker-colored wax besides. 



Yes, it is better to have the melted combs 

 very hot up to the time of pressing. In our 

 directions for operating the Hatch press we 

 advise the removal of the boiler to the edge 

 of the stove — not to stop the comb from boil- 

 ing, but to keep it from boiling too hard. 

 When the wax boils up on the hot dry side 

 of the boiler it is quite apt to become dark- 

 ened. A boiler full of melted combs requires 

 less attention if kept on the edge of the stove 

 so that it boils but slowly. — Ed.] 



LABOR SONG. 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



Wtien June is rich with odors rare, 



And birds their loves declare 



From copse and wood and orchard-top 



As if they'd never stop, 



I love to sit as day declines, 



And longer jjrow the lines, 



And hear the winj^fing home of bees 



Circling above the trees. 



The nectar-laden bees 

 Home-coming through the trees 

 Wing this refrain: Toil is not in vain. 

 For work is king of ease. 



They bring the scent of clover-blooms 

 And other choice perfumes; 

 They hide them in the waxen bells 

 Where royal favor dwells, 

 And labor sweetens all the day 

 With peace for such as they 

 Who are content to push the load 

 Along life's hilly road. 



The happy toiling bees, 

 Home-coming through the trees. 

 Bring back this truth: Forget, forsooth, 

 That worlc is better than ease. 

 Forest City, la. 



