216 THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



the wax can be lifted off the top in a cake, after which, without 

 further cooling, the honey may be strained into the selected 

 jars and treated as described above (400). 



403. Supers of Honey for Exhibition. — The object of this 

 class is to encourage careful handling of the sections, frames, 

 foundation, crates, and super boxes, and to judge of the 

 capability of the exhibitor through the perfection, or otherwise, 

 of his entire exhibit, his aim being to produce the maximum 

 of good comb and honey with the minimum of propolis, travel 

 stain, popholes, and other detractions. If the crate, or super 

 box, is to be exhibited exactly as taken from the hive, none of 

 the contents may be handled subsequently, nor may any marks 

 or stains be removed. Accordingly, all the more care must be 

 taken with the preliminary details, viz. : — The choice of a stock 

 that may be relied upon to give good work and to iinish with 

 white cappings (46-49) ; the selection of the crate, or super 

 box, only such as are absolutely accurate in all their measure- 

 ments (103, 108) being employed; the folding of sections and 

 the putting together of frames ; the insertion of foundation, 

 separators, follower, and spring or wedge ; the application of 

 vaseline, or petroleum jelly (174), to minimise propolising ; the 

 accurate fitting and evenness of sheet and quilts; the careful 

 wrapping of the crate, or super box, witli warm materials, to 

 conserve heat and expedite the work. If these details be pro- 

 perly attended to, the results should be satisfactory, but if any 

 of these details should be neglected, failure will probably 

 follow. 



404. Beeswax for Exhibition. — The best results are obtained 

 from cappings and virgin comb. When preparing combs for 

 the extractor, the whites't cappings should be taken off with as 

 little as possible adhering comb, and be set apart for exhibition 

 purposes, and when the honey from them has drained off, they 

 should be left in a vessel of clean rain water for a few days. 

 Hard water, or water containing lime, should never ^ be 

 used in any of the processes adopted for wax-rendering, 

 for it injures the quality of the wax. Upon removal 

 from the water the wax should be dried, kneaded 

 into small balls, and inserted, preferably in a steam wax 

 extractor (140), or, if such an extractor is not available, the 

 wax may be put into a perfectly clean earthenware jar in a 

 moderately hot oven, or in a pot of boiling water on the range. 

 When the wax has melted it should be strained through fine 

 muslin into a bowl of warm water, and allowed to cool slowly, 

 for rapid cooling produces cracks in the wax. When cool, and 

 before it is perfectly cold, the cake of wax should be lifted off 

 the water, and should have all dross and dirt scraped away ; 



