Wax Extractors. 



317 



allowing to cool, when the impurities at the bottom are 

 scraped off, and the process repeated till all impurities are 

 eliminated. 



A better method to separate the wax is to put it into a 

 strong, rather coarse bag, then sink this in water and boil. 

 At intervals the comb in the bag should be pressed and 

 stirred. The wax will collect on top of the water. 



To prevent the wax from burning, the bag should be 

 kept from touching the bottom of the vessel by inverting 

 a basin in the bottom of the latter, or else by using a 

 double-walled vessel with hot water between the walls. 

 The process should be repeated till the wax is perfectly 

 cleansed. 



But as wax is to become so important, and as the above 

 methods are slow, wasteful, and apt to give a poor quality 



Fig. 130. 



Swiss Wax Extractor, 



of wax, specialists, and even amateurs who keep ten or 

 twenty colonies of bees, may well pi-ocure a wax extractor 

 (Fig. 130). This is also a foreign invention, the first 

 being made by Prof. Gerster, of Berne, Switzerland. 

 These cost from five to seven dollars, ai-e made of tin, are 

 very convenient and adnriirable, and can be procured of 

 any dealer in apiarian supplies. 



The comb is placed in the perforated vessel, and this in 

 the larger can, which is set on a kettle of boiling water. 

 The clean, pure wax passes out the spout. Mr. Jones has 

 improved the common wax extractor (Fig. 131). This is 



