comb is melted by steam and in some by hot water; in others the heated wax is dipped from a kettle of hot water and poured into the press.
The German steam wax-press is in general use in America, Mr. Root having an improvement on it. It is a strongly built can, at the bottom of which is a place for water, and above it an arrangement to receive the wax drippings. A basket of perforated metal holds the comb and occupies the larger and upper part of the can; a follower worked by a screw presses down upon the heated comb and forces the wax down and out through a spigot. This machine weighs sixty pounds and costs fourteen dollars, and if the apiary contains more than forty hives of bees, such a wax-press will pay for itself soon with the wax which would otherwise be lost.
We have seen one home-made press constructed from a half barrel worked by the machinery of a cheese-press. The follower was cleated on the under side, and the barrel was filled with boiling water; the wax as it was pressed out was run off by a spout at the top. Another which was used successfully was simply a box with cleated bottom and a cleated follower into which the hot wax was poured and pressed out most successfully. One of the wax presses used by many is called the Hatch-Gemmill press, which is run on the principle of dipping the hot wax off hot water and squeezing it through the press.
