210 



MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



HOW TO RENDER WAX. 



The specific gravity of wax is about 967 and 

 water 1000, so tliat when melting old combs the 

 free wax invariably rises to the top. Pieces of 

 "burr" and other light-coloured wax scraps should 



be melted separately from 

 old brood-comb. This 

 latter should be broken 

 into small pieces and 

 soaked in rain water 24 

 hours previous to render- 

 ing. As already stated, 

 the dark colour of the 

 brood-combs is caused by 

 larval excrement packed 

 between the cocoons of 

 each succeeding genera- 

 tion. The silky cocoons 

 act as absorbents, so that 

 as soon as the wax is lique- 

 fied the cocoons become 

 charged, and the wax is 

 unable to rise to the top. 

 With old combs soaked as 

 directed above, the wet 

 cocoons cannot hold the wax. 



The old method was to Inindle a lot of combs, wax, 

 scraps, etc., into a hessian bag. This was then iilaced in 

 a suitable boiler, and a slatted board, weighted with 

 stones or pieces of iron, pressed tlie bag to the bottom. 

 The free wax rose to the top and was allowed to cool into 

 a cake. This was a Avasteful method, for only a small 

 l")roportion of the wax was recovered. 



To overcome this waste a Hot Wax-Press was placed 

 on the market (Fig. 7o). When only white comb is to 

 be treated, it is packed into the wire basket (No. 11), 

 that rests on the grate (5) and water is poured into the 



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Press for Treating Wax, 



