CHAPTER VII. 



COMB-FOUNDATION. 



I^^H^^^H 



Comb-foundation is simply a thin sheet of beeswax 

 upon which the bases of the honey-comb cells, and a 

 very slight portion of the side walls have been im- 

 pressed ; upon this foundation the bees construct the 

 complete comb. 

 As a real prac- 

 tical aid to bee- 

 culture it first 

 came into use in 

 1877, though 

 several attempts 

 had been pre- 

 viously made to 

 make it commer- 

 cially useful, but 

 without success. 

 It would be im- 

 possible to esti- 

 mate its great value in the progress of commercial 

 bee-keeping. 



It has been greatly improved in its manufacture 

 during late years, the old style of sheeting it from 

 molten wax has gone completely out of date. The 

 " Weed " foundation (named after the inventor), is 

 quite a superior article. Though soft, it is tough and 

 non-brittle. It is made direct from blocks of wax 

 under great pressure; the process is patented by the 

 A. I. Root Company, of America. Excepting in the 



65 



Fig- 37- COMB-FOUNDATION. 



