130 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



were excellent in my experience, and now 

 that the expert machauics at the Root estab- 

 lishment have taken hold of the press, I hope 

 to see the above defects wholly eliminated. 



There is much said and written about the 

 bees working down the base of the cell. As 

 the bee is guided in this work by using its 

 mandibles as a gauge, when it produces 

 comb naturally, it draws out the base of 

 comb between the mandibles just as it does 

 the side walls, tliis gauge is thus applied to 

 every portion of the comb and thus the uni- 

 form resultant thinness. 



It seems to me that a true way to get at 

 the exact thickness of comb, is to meas- 

 ure the side walls as well as the base 

 of the cells. As to the experiments in the 

 measurements of the base of the cell, at the 

 Experiment Station, I don't see as it is very 

 clear that the bees reduced the thickness of 

 the base of the cells at all. It is not definite- 

 ly stated that the first measurement was 

 made before the foundation was given to the 

 bees. If Mr. Washburn's measurements 

 were taken before the foundation was given 

 to the bees, then, according to the general 

 average, some bases were thicker after ma- 

 nipulation by the bees than before, and 

 would show that the bees, nojt being allowed 

 their natural way of thinning the base by 

 applying their gauge, were as far from get- 

 ting it right as were the manufacturers of 

 founiation. It is also noticeable that the 

 very thin flat-bottom foundation does not 

 make any better showing than other brands. 

 And right here I would suggest that if flat- 

 bottom foundation could be made on a 

 press it might work better than when so com- 

 pactly rolled. 



There is another point in relation to the 

 side walls of comb foundation ; if it is made 

 with a thick rib the bee cannot open its 

 mandibles wide enough to thin it down, and 

 much wax is left at the base. The same ap- 

 plies to side walls of too great depth. A por- 

 tion of the wax is beyond the thinning power 

 of the bee, for it is all done between the 

 mandibles. 



We all know what an intractable substance 

 beeswax is and is subject to changes in the 

 rendering, and a uniform quality of wax will 

 never be attained until there is more care 

 exercised upon this point. 



California should produce the best wax in 

 the country for it is nearly all rendered in 

 the sun extractors and has that beautiful 

 yellow color we like to see, but many times 



in cooking it is melted in old rusty or black 

 utensils and the beautiful color is materially 

 destroyed. 



The most beautiful and almost transpa- 

 rent wax I ever saw was in Campo, Cal., 

 made by Esqr. Herrick. His process of ren- 

 dering was first to thoroughly wash out all 

 dirt and honey in several changes of tepid 

 water, the rest of the process was performed 

 in porcelain lined or new tin vessels, and 

 everything kept scrupulously clean. If every 

 wax producer would look closely to the mat- 

 ter of cleanliness, the quality of wax and 

 foundation would be improved. 



"Rambleb." 



|"t^#A^<r^ 



How to Secure Sections Filled With Drawn 



Combs for Use During the White 



Honey Harvest. 



B. TAYLOR. 



T7RIEND Hutch- 

 1^ inson, in April 

 Review, page 97, 

 you' ask me to ex- 

 plain how I get the 

 empty combs, that 

 I use to secure the 

 large yields of clo- 

 ver and basswood 

 honey, drawn out in 

 time for the white 

 honey harvest. I 

 will tell you with 

 pleasure, as I regard this method of increas- 

 ing the profits of bee-keeping, as the great- 

 est improvement I ever practiced, for by it 

 I can get as many pounds of comb as ex- 

 tracted honey, and have it not only white, 

 but the nicest, straight sections built fast to 

 the wood on all sides. 



Now, Mr. Editor, these facts above stated 

 will make this finished comb system for 

 getting large yields of fine; white, section 

 honey a very important question to the bee- 

 keeping fraternity, so I will give the readers 

 of the Review plain directions from begin- 

 ning to end. 



I have the combs for each season's use 

 built the season previous. A bright bee 

 man, well known to bee keepers, at the late 

 National Convention at Chicago, told me 

 with evident pride that he " had no use for a 

 comb leveler, as h j got nearly all his sections 

 sold each year by making two or three 

 grades of them." In making these grades 



