A slow and wasteful method is to melt in a vessel of heated water, and to purify by turning off the top, or allowing to cool, when the impurities at the bottom are scraped off, and the process repeated till all impurities are eliminated. A better method to separate the wax is to put it into a strong, rather coarse bag, then sink this in water and boil. At intervals the comb in the bag should be pressed and stirred. The wax will collect on top of the water. To prevent the bag from burning, it should be kept from touching the bottom of the vessel by inverting a basin in the bottom of the latter, or else by using a double-walled vessel. The process should be repeated till the wax is perfectly cleansed. But, as wax is to become so important, and as the above methods are slow, wasteful, and apt to give a poor quality of wax, specialists, and even amateurs who keep as many as ten or twenty colonies of bees, may well procure a wax extractor (Fig. 70). This is also a foreign invention, the first being made by Prof. Gerster, of Berne, Switzerland. These cost from five to seven dollars, are made of tin, are very convenient and admirable, and can be procured of any dealer in apiarian supplies. [Illustration: Fig. 70.] By this invention, all the wax, even of the oldest combs, can be secured, in beautiful condition, and as it is perfectly neat, there is no danger of provoking the "best woman in the world," as we are in danger of doing by use of either of the above methods--for what is more untidy and perplexing than to have wax boil over on the stove, and perhaps get on to the floor, and be generally scattered about. All pieces of comb should be put into a close box, and if any larvæ are in it, the comb should be melted so frequently that it would not smell badly. By taking pains, both in collecting and melting, the apiarist will be surprised at the close of the season, as he views his numerous and beautiful cakes of comb, and rejoice as bethinks how little trouble it has all cost. CHAPTER XV. MARKETING HONEY. No subject merits more attention by the apiarist than that of marketing honey. There is no question but that the supply is going to continually increase, hence, to sustain the price we must stimulate the demand, and by doing this we shall not only supply the people with a food element which is necessary to health, but we shall also supersede in part the commercial syrups, which are so adulterated as not only to be crowded with filth the most revolting, but are often even teeming with poison. (Report of Michigan Board of Health for 1874, pp. 75-79.) To bring, then, to our neighbor's table the pure, wholesome, delicious nectar, right from the hive, is philanthropy, whether he realizes it or not. Nor is it difficult to stimulate the demand. I have given special attention to this topic for the last few years, and am free to say, that not a tithe of the honey is consumed in our country that might and should be.