EXTRACTION OF BEESWAX 
7. 
cocoons and leave them in a free condition. Some number two comb 
was soaked for three days in a solution of five per cent, sulphuric acid, 
washed to remove the acid and treated in solar extractor number one for 
three days. Some comb which had not been soaked was used as a check, 
and the comb treated with acid gave on an average about five per cent, 
more wax than that not treated. Care had to be taken to wash all of 
the acid out of the comb before it was put in the extractor on account 
of the action of the acid on the metal linings of the extractor. 
STEAM EXTRACTORS. 
In determining the efficiency of the steam extractors three kinds 
were used, the Ferris, the Eoot-German, and the Swiss. The Ferris ex¬ 
tractor was loaned to the department by Mr. M. A. Gill of Longmont, 
Colorado, and the Root was loaned by Mr. R. C. Aikin of Loveland, Colo¬ 
rado. The Swiss was obtained from the Station Entomologist. 
The Root-German Extractor. This extractor was made by the A. I. 
Root Co., Medina, Ohio, and consisted of a small sheet iron tank or can 
with a false bottom. On an iron frame above the false bottom rests a 
\vire basket. Pressure is applied by means of a screw which runs through 
the cover of the machine. Water is placed in the bottom and the ma¬ 
chine placed on a stove. The steam, as it generates, rises through a hole 
in the middle of the false bottom, which is covered by a deflector. The 
comb, not too much, is placed in a burlap bag and the bag is placed in 
a metal basket which is put into the extractor. When the comb becomes 
thoroughly melted pressure is applied by means of the screw, increasing 
at intervals and not applied all at once. After most of the wax has been 
removed it is a good thing to remove the pressure, stir the slumgum and 
press again. With old comb it is best to stir and press at least two or 
three times. This extractor worked in a very satisfactory manner and 
the results show the efficiency of the Root extractor to be greater than 
that of any of the other steam or solar extractors. 
The Ferris Steam Wax Extractor. This extractor was invented by 
Mr. C. C. Ferris of Richfield Springs, New York, and was the first ex¬ 
tractor put on the market which used pressure in connection with steam 
as a means of extracting beeswax. The extractor consists of a galvanized 
pron tank in which are suspended two extra heavy galvanized wire-cloth 
baskets. Comb is placed in the baskets, water is put in the lower por¬ 
tion of the machine and the whole is placed on the stove. The steam as 
generated, passes upward into the baskets and melts the wax which runs 
down the inclined bottom and out the spout into a pan containing water. 
After part of the wax has melted pressure is applied in the basket by 
means of a screw and the wax is forced out of the comb while it is kept 
hot by steam. The comb is then stirred, heated and pressed again. 
The Ferris extractor worked very well on number one comb, but it 
did not give good results with either comb numbers two or three. The 
machine was not made strong enough so that sufficient pressure could be 
applied to force all of the wax out of the comb. The screws for apply¬ 
ing the pressure were too small and the method of fastening them not 
