884 
WAX 
until the batch has been pressed three 
times. Between pressings always draw the 
can out over the fire to come to a boil. The 
object of this is to permit the refuse to 
become saturated again with boiling water. 
Heating to the boiling-point between each 
pressing makes possible a saving of about 
two per cent of wax. Whenever the press- 
can is not occupying the stove the boiler 
should be put back over it, so that the heat 
will no‘t be wasted. The contents of this 
boiler, therefore, has intermittent heat¬ 
ing while one batch is pressing, then dur¬ 
ing the pressing of the next batch it is 
transferred to the other stove where it has 
constant heating so that it will be ready by 
the time the press is empty again. 
As soon as the screws have been turned 
down for the third time, practically as far 
as they will go, place a third boiler under 
the gate while the screws are still down and 
open the gate. Catch a dipperful of the 
water as it first comes out of the press and 
set it on the floor. When all the wax and 
water have run out, splash the hot water 
in the dipper over the follower while the 
screws are still turned down, thus rinsing 
off the coating of the hot wax. Then tip up 
one end of the press so as to drain out the 
last of the water and wax into the boiler. 
Pour this hot water and wax immediately 
into the barrel and cover with the old car¬ 
pet. The wax will rise to the top; and, 
when more hot water is wanted a little 
later, another boilerful may be drawn from 
the hole at the bottom. 
As soon as empty, draw the press-can 
out over the stove. Take out the follower 
and the “cheese” and put the latter to 
one side for the present. If there is not 
enough water in the can to prevent burn¬ 
ing, throw in a couple of quarts with the 
dipper. Spread a fresh burlap over the 
press-can and proceed as before. Later 
on, when there is time, the first “cheese” 
set aside may be unpinned and the refuse 
shaken out. The burlap should be rubbed 
between the hands so as to remove the 
cocoons that have been imbedded in the 
cloth. Much depends on having the burlap 
clean when it is used over again. 
A little experience will determine how 
much water to put in the boilers. There 
should be enough so that the surface of the 
liquid will be about an inch from the top 
of the press-can, when the follower is sub¬ 
merged by the screw. If the press-can is 
too full it makes it difficult to slide back 
and forth without slopping, and if there is 
not enough, it detracts from the efficiency 
of the method. During the pressing, it is 
a good plan to cover the can with four 
boards, notched at one edge, to surround 
the screw. This confines the heat and 
make it possible to do faster work. 
The process as described in detail sounds 
complicated, but is really very simple. It 
is easy to finish a batch every 45 minutes. 
The average amount of wax secured each 
time is 10 pounds. As mentioned in the 
early part of this article, the author pressed 
13 batches in a day and secured 142 pounds 
of wax in all. The refuse, moreover, when 
the work was done, contained less than two 
per cent of the original amount of wax. 
Before starting work the secopd morn¬ 
ing the cake of wax on top of the water in 
the barrel should be broken up and taken 
out. The pieces require only a little scrap¬ 
ing on the bottom to be ready for market. 
The water, still warm, is quickly heated so 
that the work can be resumed very shortly. 
When diseased combs are rendered, es¬ 
pecially , those containing some honey, 
every precaution should be taken to pre¬ 
vent the bees from robbing. If the build¬ 
ings cannot be made bee-tight, the work 
must be done at night, and every tool and 
utensil used thoroly scalded. The refuse 
from the diseased combs should be burned, 
and the water which was used poured 
where the bees cannot possibly get access 
to it. 
■THE AMOUNT OF WAX IN COMBS. 
The question is often asked how much 
wax can be rendered from comb holding 
a given amount of honey; but it is quite 
difficult to answer such questions, as it 
makes considerable difference whether full 
sheets of foundation were used, and also 
whether such foundation was thick or thin. 
In general, however, it requires about 4 
lbs. of wax in comb to hold 100 lbs. of 
honey, or, in other words, a pound of new 
comb will hold about 25 lbs. of honey. 
A sixteen-ounce section of honey con¬ 
sists approximately of. 14y 2 ounces of 
honey—a little over one-half ounce of wax 
and about one ounce of wood. Next is 
