FOUNDATION 213 



FOUNDATION. 



ITS MANUFACTURE. 



On most bee-farms the wax is required for making 

 into comb foundation; of course many apiarists prefer to 

 sell the wax, — receiving from Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. per pound 

 — and buy foimdation, which costs from. Is. 9d. to 2s. 3d. 

 per lb. Where bee-farming is made a speciality, the 

 apiarist usually works the wax into foundation for his 

 own use and in some cases has a fair-sized trade built 

 up among the smaller bee-keepers. The cost of a suitable 

 mill and the necessary vats and tanks is only justified 

 when apiaries are conducted on a rather extensive scale. 



To make good foundation requires considerable 

 experience and patience, to say nothuig about a con- 

 veniently situated wax-working plant. Bee-farmers 

 making foundation iisually leave its manufacture until 

 the slack winter months. The temperature is then rather 

 low, so that a room fairly warm is a necessity. A large vat 

 of refined wax should be on hand kept at about 160° F. 

 This tank or vat should be elevated so that its gate is 

 over the dipping-tank. The structure of the latter tank 

 is very simple, merely one tank within another, the inter- 

 vening space (about 1 in.) being filled with water heated 

 by a steam pipe or a Primus stove. The inner tank holds 

 the wax at the temperature of 160" F. One or two water 

 tanks at 95° F., for tempering the wax sheets will also 

 be required, together with three dipping boards of pine^ 

 these should be slightly larger than the frame in use. 

 Before the boards are used they should be soaked in 

 water for twenty-four hours, or boiled in a vat with 

 steam until thoroughly saturated with moisture. 



When everything is in readiness, draw some wax from 

 the large vat into the dipping tank ; wait until all bubbles, 

 etc., have risen to the top and the wax stands at 160° F.; 

 take the dipping boards from the warm water — about 

 120° F. — (if the boards are too cold the wax sheets will 

 crack), and shake off the surplus water. Hold by the 



