206 



MANUAL OF THE APIARY 



tion was profitable, as I with many others have found. But 

 with the present price — forty dollars, ^7hich I think, judging 

 from the simplicity of the machine, advertised at that price 

 (Fig. 66), must be reduced still lower — we can hardly conceive 

 what an immense business this is soon to become. 



HOW FOUNDATION IS MADE. 



The process of making the foundation is very simple. 

 Thin sheets of wax, as thin as is consistent with strength, are 

 simply passed between the rollers, which are so made as to 

 stamp worker or drone foundation, as may be desired. The 

 rollers are well covered with starch-water to secure against 

 adhesion. Two men can roll out about four hundred pounds 

 per day. 



TO SECURE THE WAX SHEETS. 



To make the thin sheets of wax, Mr. A. I. Root takes sheets 

 or plates of galvanized iron with a wooden handle. These are 

 cooled by dipping in ice-water, and then are dipped two, or 

 three times if the wax is very hot, in the melted wax, which 

 is maintained at the proper temperature by keeping it in a 

 ' double-walled vessel, with hot water in the outer chamber. 



Fig. 67. 



Such a boiler, too, prevents burning of the wax, which would 

 ruin it, while it is being melted. After dipping the plates in 

 the wax, they are again dipped, when dripping has ceased, into 

 the cold water, after which the sheets of wax are cleaved off, 

 the plates brushed, wiped, cooled, and dipped again. The 



