158 Advanced Bee Culture. 



out the coarser impurities. This method of rendering wax by the use 

 of boihng water will probably get out as much of the wax as it is pos- 

 sible to secure without the use of pressure upon the residue, or "slum- 

 gum," as it is called. Old combs are largely made up of cocoons — 

 more cocoons than wax — and they absorb and retain the melted wax, 

 much as a sponge will hold water, and pressure is the only thing that 

 \\ill cause them to give up the golden treasure. 



Another plan particularly feasible for melting cappings, new combs, 

 or scraps that are nearly pure wax, is by the use of the solar wax- 

 extractor, which is simply a shallow box painted black inside and out, 

 and furnished with a false bottom of sheet iron a few inches above the 

 real bottom, a cover of glass completing the arrangement. The box 

 is placed in a slanting position, facing the sun, and the refuse combs, 

 etc., placed upon the false bottom of iron, or in a sort of basket ar- 

 ranged at the upper end for the reception of the cappings, scraps, etc. 

 The direct rays of the sun, aided, sometimes, by the reflected rays from 

 the cover, to which is fastened a sheet of bright tin, melt the wax. and 

 it runs down to the lower end of the metal shute, where it drops ofif 

 into a vessel set there to catch it. A small solar wax-extractor standing 

 in an apiary is an excellent thing, as into it may be thrown all scraps 

 of comb that would otherwise be thrown away, or perhaps be thrown 

 into a box or barrel to stand around until destroyed by the bee-moth 

 larvae. 



.\11 of these plans of rendering wax fall short of perfection, how- 

 ever, as too much wax is left in the residue. Pressure of some sort must 

 be used or a large part of the wax is lost. 



RENDERING OLD COirBS INTO WAX, WITH GREAT EASE, SPEED AND 



PERFECTION. 



Mr. W. J. ]\Ianlc\' of Sandusky, Michigan, has perfected a method 

 of wax making that I would recommend in preference to those already 

 mentioned. The characteristic features of the plan are that of pressing 

 only a small amount of material at one time, doing it very thoroughly, 

 yet with such a system that one batch can follow another in rapid suc- 

 cession, pressing the slum gum under water that is boiling hot ; releas- 

 ing and re-applying the pressure, getting the wax up on top of the 

 water, away from the slum gum and the burlap packing ; then pouring 

 the wax and hot water off into a cooling tank; and, last, but not least, 

 drawing oflf the hot water from under the wax, in the cooling tank, 

 and using this hot water over again for melting the next batch, thus 

 saving the heating of another boiler of water. 



First, let's describe the implements, or utensils. For heating the 

 water he uses a common, six-griddle cook-stove, with a reservoir. The 



