A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 41 



directly into comb if foundation is not present. Ordinary comb is made 

 up, therefore, largely, but not entirely, of pure wax. In working about 

 the apiary all bits of comb, whether old or new, spoiled or broken foun- 

 dation, burr and brace combs, and all such should be placed in the solar 

 wax extractor, described on a previous page under the head of "appa- 

 ratus." These small savings will in the course of a year amount to con- 

 siderable, and will more than pay for the time and trouble required. In 

 order to whiten the wax and make it more presentable, it may be placed 

 in the solar wax extractor several times in succession, the sun having a 

 marked bleaching effect upon it. Wax is in good demand by all manu- 

 facturers of foundation and of bee supplies, and commands a ready sale 

 at all times. Wax should never be adulterated in any way. Aside from 

 moral reasons, such adulteration is readily detected, and furthermore, 



Fig 21. Root-German Steam Wax-press. (After A. I. Root Co.) 



any adulteration renders the wax entirely worthless. Space will not be 

 taken here to discuss the various adulterants used or the methods 

 employed in detecting them. 



While the solar wax extractor, by the action of the sun, will remove 

 the greater part of the wax, a portion still remains in the refuse or 

 "slum-gum," as it is called. Until comparatively recently no efficient 

 method was known for extracting the remaining wax from the slum- 

 gum. The A. I. Eoot Co., of Medina, Ohio, have recently perfected what 

 is known as the "Eoot-German Steam Wax-press," which by the applica- 

 tion of steam and pressure simultaneously, forces the greater part of the 

 wax from the slum-gum. The machine is a marked success, and in 

 apiaries of forty colonies or over will soon pay for itself in the wax 

 saved. This machine is shown in Fig. 21. 



SWARMING. 



All forms of life, that they may not become extinct, have some 

 method of reproduction. In the case of the greater number of animals 



