Islands Industry

Beekeeping As An Islands Industry Part III —How To Refine Bees-wax

By F. J. Morgan

THE preparation and sale of bees-wax was of such importance in earlier days that some of the most impor tant laws of the land were enacted to control the sale and protect the buyer from adulterated wax.

The Wax Chandlers Company, one of the wealthiest of the Guilds of the City of London, came into being about 600 years ago, because of the importance of the wax-chandler’s trade. Tithes and taxes were often paid in bees-wax, and the wealth of a monastery in early England and Europe was often the measure of its bees-wax. The adulteration of bees-wax is still a criminal offence, and care must be taken to ensure that one does not offend. It may be stated that adulteration is very easily detected.

We might point out at this stage that tropical Africa is becoming the world’s most important source of bees-wax. Top prices on the London market have been won by a firm in Tanganyika specialising in this work. By careful grading according to colour:, light wax will bring the best price, and the packing of cwt. lots, ac cording to colour, is greatly appreciated.

The firm also standardised the si£e of their blocks to 14 lb. weight each.

As bees-wax is used in making sweets, cosmetics and in the pharmacy, it must be free from acid or lead, which should not be used in refining. When aiming at a wax market, it is well to take great care in preparing the product. Bees-wax must not be overheated, and should not come in contact with copper or galvanised iron. Any metal container used for melted wax should be tinned.

SO long as the beekeeper has plenty of sunshine, a solar extractor is ex cellent for breaking down combs and cappings, but it should not be used for diseased or old brood-combs.

Anyone handy with tools can make a good solar extractor. It simply consists of a sloping wooden bench, which may be faced with tinned sheet, under a glass cover. At the lower edge of the sloping bench is a wire strainer to catch dross, and below the strainer a trough with slightly flared sides, so that the wax, when liquid, runs down the slope, through the strainer into the troughs, and when cool will fall out of the trough easily when inverted.

Common dimensions are: Length, 5 feet; width of bench 2 feet 6 inches; depth, being difference in height between the highest side of the bench and lower, 4 1 inches. The glass cover is furnished with two sheets of glass, with a space of 1 inch between them, and the space inside, between the glass and the tinned surface of the bench, should be about 3 inches.

The whole should be made into a box which sits flat on the ground, and the glass top should be on hinges so that it can be raised. If small wheels can be attached underneath the box, so that it can be swung round to face the sun at all times, so much the better.

After solidifying in the moulds at the base of the extractor, the wax should be clean and ready for marketing, but if it is at all dirty or discoloured it should be refined.

REFINING is carried out quite simply by filling one-third of a kerosene tin with water and then dropping in the wax, in small pieces, until it is filled to about 3 inches from the top. The tin is then placed over a slow fire until the

wax has melted, but it should not be allowed to boil. As soon as melted, remove from fire and cover tin with hessian or sack and stand to cool and settle. The dross will sink to the bottom and form a layer between the wax and water. Before the wax begins to harden take a dipper and remove it gently, pouring into tinned moulds with sloping sides; half a kerosene tin, cut lengthwise, can be adapted to this purpose.

Stop dipping as soon as you come to the dross. The dross, being mixed with wax and water should be melted again, and then strained through a hessian bag into another mould, and allowed to settle and cool. On cooling, remove from the mould and cut the dross from the bottom of the wax block with a knife. It will scrape off fairly easily.

With bees-wax selling at 2/-.to 2/4 per lb., Australian currency, it is more profitable than honey to produce, considering

the cost of freight and honey-tins. Care in refining pays, and is rewarded by highest prices in all markets.

Everything needed to start beekeeping can be procured from reliable manufac turers in Australia, most of whom are quite willing to give expert advice to the beginner when requested.

When consigning honey or bees-wax to agents, it is advisable to mark packages clearly with the name and address of the agent. The sender’s name and address should also be shown. Take care, also, to write a covering letter to the agent instructing him to sell, and advising how many tins of honey are being shipped and the weight; or, in the case of wax, how many pounds, what colour and how packed. Tack a label with sender’s name and address on each block of wax, as a further precaution in case of delay in shipping.

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