MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 211 



69, d) either, in water, or, better, starch-water, and pressing 

 with it on the foundation above the projection, the foundation 

 will be made to adhere firmly to the latter, when the frame 

 may be raised with the block, taken off, and another fastened 

 as before. I have practiced this plan for two years, and have 

 had admirable success. I have very rarely known the founda- 



FlG. 



tion to drop, though it must be remembered that our hives 

 are shaded, and our frames small. 



The above methods are successful, but probably will receive 

 valuable modifications at the hands of the ingenius apiarists 

 of our land. Study in this direction will unquestionably 

 pay, as the use of this material is going to be very extensive, 

 and any improvements will be hailed with joy by the bee- 

 keeping fraternity. 



SAVE THE WAX. 



As foundation is becoming so popular, and is destined to 

 come into general use, it behooves us all to be very careful 

 that no old comb goes to waste. Soiled drone-comb, old, worth- 

 less worker-comb, and all fragments that cannot be used in 

 the hives, together with cappings, after the honey is drained 

 out through a coarse bag or colander — which process may be 

 hastened by a moderate heat, not sufficient to melt the wax, 

 and frequent stirring — should be melted, cleansed, and 

 molded into cakes of wax, soon to be again stamped, not by 

 the bees, but by wondrous art. 



METHODS. 



A slow and wasteful method is to melt in a vessel of heated 

 water, and to purify by turning off the top, or 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 boiJ. 



