590 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
distilled water, unless to the water is added an acid, 
which, by uniting with the lime, prevents it from 
attacking the cerotic acid of the wax. Vinegar will 
do, but sulphuric, hydrochloric, or nitric acids, in small 
amount, would be better ; a teaspoonful of sulphuric 
acid would be sufficient for half-a-gallon of water. 
There are many methods of melting up combs so 
as to secure their wax ; but if these be old, it is very 
essential that they be first most thoroughly soaked. 
It is sometimes stated that old combs yield no wax. 
The reason in part lies in defective treatment, though, 
of course, they never so well repay “rendering” as 
do the fresher ones. Larval excrement collects in 
quantity in old comb, and, if this be dry, no sooner is 
the wax set running, than it is soaked up in such a 
manner that it cannot afterwards be separated. When 
a sufficiently large collection of scraps and pieces of 
comb has been made to warrant a cooking, it is wise 
to sort over the whole, and start operations with the 
pieces in which breeding has not occurred. These, 
in the absence of any appliance, need only to be 
brought to the boil over a good quantity of slightly 
acidulated water, and then stood by to cool as slowly 
as possible, so as to permit the heavier dirt to sink 
to the lower surface. Next day the cake can be 
lifted, and the lower part scraped off. The removed 
debris may go into the second boiling, for which the 
combs should have been soaking from the previous 
day. The cocoon skins, thoroughly wet, will refuse 
contact with the wax, and the excrementitious matter 
also will remain beneath, staining the water a deep 
brown. After cooling, the exceedingly dirty mass. 
