The Production and Care of Beeswax 337 



the fire, where it burns briskly. It is almost permissible 

 to believe that every man who makes a wax press thinks 

 that no other wax press could ever equal it and some of the 

 most powerful and elaborate ones that have been demon- 

 strated to the author were the least efficient. 



Removing wax by dissolving. 



In Europe, the wax in slumgum is sometimes dissolved 

 out with turpentine or some other light oil and the solvent 

 is then regained by distillation, but there is no record of this 

 being done on a commercial scale in America. By no other 

 means can all the wax be removed, but it is claimed that 

 this "extracted wax" differs slightly both physically and 

 chemically from wax removed by melting. If a solvent is 

 used carbon tetrachloride would probably be the most 

 satisfactory. 



Cleaning wax. 



After the wax is extracted, it usually contains many for- 

 eign particles. While still in a liquid condition the wax 

 should be placed over an inch or more of water in a vessel 

 which will conserve the heat so that the wax can remain 

 liquid for a considerable time. If a heavy wooden box is 

 available this is good, but even better results may be accom- 

 plished by packing a thinner vessel in a box filled with saw- 

 dust. If it can remain liquid for twenty-four hours or more 

 the results are best. Just before hardening (when the tem- 

 perature is just above the melting point of wax) it should 

 be carefully dipped off from the top into vessels to cool. 

 These vessels should either have the top wider than the 

 bottom or have smooth straight sides which are covered 

 with a thin layer of honey just before the cooling wax is 

 poured in. Every beekeeper should know that wax and 

 honey never mix. The particles of dirt will have settled to 

 the bottom and when the wax appears discolored the re- 

 mainder may be left to harden in the insulated vessel. The 

 dirt may then be scraped away from this cake, and if there 



