The Rendering of Beeswax. i6i 



for holding the slum gum. This, I believe, completes the description 

 of the press, and I think I now better go back and tell how the wax is 

 melted and pressed, and bring the process up to the point where the 

 wax leaves the press, before going further with any description. 



First, the combs are all cut out of the frames, and the frames 

 scraped clean, before any wax rendering operations are begun. After 

 steam is up, and work begun, there is no time for cutting out combs. 

 They are all cut out and thrown in a huge pile in one corner of the room, 

 from whence they can be readily scooped up with a shovel and thrown 

 into the boilers as needed. We will suppose that the combs are cut out, 

 a good fire in the stove, and the two boilers and the reservoir full of 

 hot water. The equivalent of about eight Langstroth combs is put into 

 the boiler that sits upon the hottest part of the stove. As the combs 

 melt they are stirred and thoroughly broken up with a large stick. 

 When the wax has thoroughly melted, the perforated metal basket is 

 set inside the press, the burlap sack hung inside the basket, and the 

 contents of the boiler dipped with a gallon dipper into the burlap sack. 

 That is, it is dipped at first, until the operator is able to pick up the 

 boiler and pour out the rest of its contents into the burlap sack, .-\fter 

 the melted combs and hot water are all in the press, the burlap sack is 

 grasped with both hands, at its upper edge, lifted up somewh:it, and 

 twisted about, until the bulk of its contents has been reduced so that 

 the top of the sack can be folded down upon the body of the sack. The 

 screw and follower is then put in place and screwed down upon the 

 sack. While this batch is pressing, the boiler is filled with combs and 

 set to melting upon the stove. The screw is then loosened, and the 

 water allowed to enter the slum gum, when pressure is again applied 

 a la Hershiser. Before the follower is screwed down the second time, 

 it is turned around part way, by means of an iron rod thrust down 

 upon its upper surface. The bars upon the lower surface do not then 

 go back into the same old grooves in the sack of slum gum. This, 

 loosening of the screw, and re-applying of the pressure, may be repeated 

 as often as thought advisable. It will be noticed that the pressure is 

 applied under boiling hot water ; that the wax rises to the top of the 

 water as fast as it escapes from the slum gum ; that it is not entangled 

 nor retained by the burlap. 



We will suppose that we have secured all of the wax possible b)- 

 pressure. The slum gum is in the sack; the press is full of hot water, 

 with the wax floating on top ; Mr. Manley then pours off this hot water 

 and wax into what might be called a cooling, or separating tank. The 

 screw is then loosened and removed, the sack of slum gum taken out, 

 and the slum gum shaken out into some old box or barrel. There is 



