OR, MANUAI, OF THB APIARY. 369 



comb or whatever material yon wish to extract wax from. 

 The steam passes through the perforated metal walls of the 

 basket, melting- every particle of wax from the crude material ; 

 the wax runs out of a spout for the purpose, turned downwards ; 

 under this spout have a receptacle, which have slightly oiled, 

 to keep the wax from adhering to its walls. The tube turned 

 upwards serves two very important purposes, viz.: To fill 

 water into the lower tank, and to see if the tank requires 

 replenishing, without taking out the basket above. Keep 

 everything but the spout closed, in order to lose no steam and 

 give it full force. When not in use as an extractor it is 

 excellent as an uncapping-can ; the cappings drop into basket, 



Fig. 182. 



Solar Wax-Extractor. — From A. J. Root Co, 



the honey drains off, leaving the cappings just where you want 

 them to extract from." 



Still better than the above is the solar wax-extractor (Fig. 

 182). This is cheap, and can be easily made at small cost. 

 A box lined with tin has hinged to its top, first, a glass cover, 

 and then to the top of this glass cover, a wooden cover lined 

 with tin, or a glass mirror. 



A perforated tin wax-pan is made to set just under the 

 glass cover. This is placed conveniently where the sun can 

 strike it, and is always ready for pieces of wax. By raising 

 the upper cover the reflector hastens the work. I value the 

 solar wax-extractor very highly. It is always ready for pieces 

 of comb. The Boardman extractor (Fig. 183) has only the 

 glass cover, and is on rockers to give proper incline to catch 

 the sun. The solar wax-extractor, indeed, all the methods 



