The searchlight., 1909-01-01
Whal Government Experts and Other Prominent
Writers Say on Agriculture and
Allied Topics.
THE VARIOUS METHODS
OF EXTRACTING BEESWAX
Suggestons Making Extrsetof
-Contrivsd by F. G. Afford.

pulling the cork out Of the upper hole
the wax, which has risen to the top.
can be drawn Oh, and by using the
lower hole all Of the wax and watst
can be removed. The whole apparatus
must be kept ~ warm ~ possible. ~
sulphurIc Acid and Pressure linden
Water.-It was thought that the addi.
tion Of acid to the water in the expert.
me1t might increase the efficiency Of
the method. The comb was heated
In q porcelain-lined tub with solution
of five per cent. commercial sulphurio
acid. When the wax had melted Il
was poured into the sack In the press
and pressure applied quickly In order
not to have the acid in contact with
the metal any longer than necessary.
The wax and water were drawn Oh.
boiling water added. the slumgum
stirred, and pressure applied again.
This water was drawn on and put
with the rest. As this was an expert.
ment to determine the efficiency OF the
press. a tin can was used. but In prac.
tical work It would be necessary to
have everything acid proof, As hot
acid. even when diluted, IL very de-
structive to most substances. The
can could be made of wood or Dor.
clain-lined ware.
This method was easy to manipu-
late and rapid and was the most EN-.
cient of all the methods used.
The results reported show that "the
slumgum from 100 pounds of wax
treated by the ordinary solar wax ex.
tractor will retain from "a to 80
pounds Of wax, which can be removed
by heating with dilute sulphuric acid
and pressing under hot water. with
the best of the steam wax extractors
used there remains In the slumgum
about seven pounds Of wax which 10
obtainable by the use Of the sulphurie
acid and pressure. With the price Of
wax at 25 cents a pound 1t would pay
to buy old slogum and remove the was
by this method"
The wax obtained by pressure under
water containing five per cent. OF sult
phuric acid was very good In color, in
fact. almost as good as most Of
the wax obtained from the solar en-
tractors"
The wax obtained with the steam ex.
tractors did not have o good color, and
would have had to be refined before Il
could be used. The wax from the solas
extractors was always q better color
than that from the steam extractors.
The wax formed by pressure under wa.
ter was nearly as good In color as
the wax from the solar extractors
Wax from old brood comb Ia too
dark to be used for comb foundation,
so that some satisfactory method Of
bleaching must be employed. Various
methods Of bleaching were therefore
tried. but most Of them either de.
stroyed the wax or were ir themselves
poisonous.
As q result OF these experiments.
and from his experience In handling
bees and rendering wax. Mr.. Afford ex
presses the following opinion:
1t is best for the average bee keen,
er to have q large solar wax extract
or. heated by some artificial heat, by
means Of which most Of the wax IN
the lighter colored combs. cappinxa,
and burr combs may be easily rem.
dered. The dark combs may also BE-
treated In this manner and the slum
gum stored In barrels until the bee
keeper has time to treat It with dilute
salphuric acid and press under water:
This method is quick and eficient II
the wax be refined It can be done b.
heating. while inclosed In a canton
flannel sack. with solution contain
ing five per cent. Of hydrogen perox
ids and two to five per cent. Of sui
phuric acid. Both OF these chemicala
can be bought at the ordinary drua
store. The common kind. commercial
should be used.
IN mixing the acid and the water
care should be taken to always pom
the acid gently into the water and mo-
the water into the acid.
The cost Of chemicals compared
with the results obtained is very
slight"