TOOLS FOR CUTTING COMBS. 
45 
next to the hive flat, the other side beveled. This tool may 
be called the verticle. 
Another tool, called the horizontal, is made in the same 
manner, except that the blade is made to lie flat on the bot- 
tom when you are cutting the combs out of an inverted hive. 
Have the under side flat and the top beveled. This blade 
need not be more than a fourth of an inch wide. This is 
used for cutting the combs loose from the lid or any place 
where they are to be cut horizontally. With these tools all 
the combs and honey can be taken from a hive without de- 
stroying the hive. 
WAX. 
Beeswax is made by putting the combs in a coffee sack or 
other strong loosely-woven fabric, inserted in a kettle of boil- 
ing water. While boiling keep pressing and working it un- 
til all the wax comes through the bag. Then remove it. 
When the water cools the wax will be in a cake on the sur- 
face. To melt this wax over again once or twice in clean 
water purifies and whitens it. It is bleached by being laid 
in thin flakes in the sun. 
RENDERING HONEY. 
Honey may be rendered by mashing it up and placing it 
in a bag hung where it will be warm and drip from it into a 
vessel; or mash it up in a colander placed ov era vessel in a 
warm oven. Some of the wax that will melt and run through 
can be skimmed off when the honey cools. Put the refuse 
combs into the honey boxes for the bees to empty. Persons 
who have much honey and wish to empty it out of the combs 
in order to have them refilled, can obtain a machine for that 
purpose. 
THE APIARY. 
The bees should be near the house where they can be heard 
when they swarm. They should also be where they would 
not feel the north and west wind, whore they can have a calm 
warm place to light. It makes but little difference which 
way the hives face ; perhaps an easterly or southeasterly ex- 
posure is best. It is well if they can have the sun two or 
three hours in tho morning, and as many in the evening, but 
