WAX 
875 
making the press very large, overcomes this 
difficulty. 
The quality of wax from hot-water 
presses is usually not very good, because 
of the long-continued high temperature. 
In the Hershiser press more hot water is 
introduced at short intervals into the lower 
part, causing the melted wax to overflow 
thru the outlet at the top. In this way the 
wax is not left for any great length of time 
on the boiling water, so that the color is 
not darkened. 
Perhaps one objection to hot-water 
presses is the cost of the outfit; but for 
extensive beekeepers they are the most 
practical, as much cleaner work can be 
done, owing to the continued intermittent 
pressure on the refuse surrounded by hot 
water. In other words, old combs rendered 
in a hot-water press may be pressed as 
many as fifteen or twenty times, so that it 
is possible to reduce the final loss to only a 
fraction of one per cent. 
If onfe wishes to try the hot-water 
method by using an outfit constructed at 
home he can follow the plan shown in 
Fig. 6. An ordinary kettle may be used, 
altho it would be advisable to have one 
with a flat bottom. As it would be rather 
difficult to construct a crossbeam over the 
kettle rigid enough to stand the pressure 
exerted by a screw, a lever may be used as 
shown, tho some means will have to be 
employed to keep it from falling over 
sidewise, such as a loop around a tree or 
post. In using a lever it is important to 
have it so adjusted that the pressure will 
be uniform and directly downward. Any 
pressure exerted from a point not directly 
over the kettle will result in pressing the 
refuse to one side, so that the “cheese” 
will be very thin on one edge and very 
thick on the other. If this were the case 
there would, of course, be too much wax 
left in the thick portion. To get the best 
results the “cheese” should not be over an 
inch or an inch and a half thick after 
pressing. 
Cleaner work can be done by an inter¬ 
mittent than by continuous steady pres¬ 
sure; and so, whether using a lever or 
screw, it is well to relieve the pressure 
about every ten minutes, allowing the 
“cheese” two or three minutes in which 
to become thoroly saturated again with 
boiling water. Pressure should be applied 
slowly at first in order to avoid bursting 
the burlap. 
With the outdoor kettle plan, the wax 
will be discolored on account of the long- 
continued heat unless it is dipped off the 
surface of the water almost as fast as it 
rises. About three hours of intermittent 
pressure for one batch of combs in a kettle 
will render out the wax. 
STEAM-PRESSES. 
Methods of rendering wax, embodying 
the principle of applying great pressure 
to combs surrounded by steam, are quite 
old, both in this country and in Germany, 
where they originated. In some ways 
steam-presses have advantages over other 
methods; but the quality of wax is usually 
Pig. 7.—German steam wax-press. 
not so good, because of the high tempera¬ 
ture to which the comparatively thin sur¬ 
faces of melted wax are subjected; altho 
the wax, as it leaves the refuse, falls down 
out of the way so that the work can be 
much more conveniently carried on, since 
there is no great depth of water in the 
way. 
A steam-press of popular design is 
shown in Fig. 7. Steam is generated un¬ 
der a false bottom in the lower part, and, 
