142 



GLEAISTINGS IN BEE ClILTURE. 



Juke 



accustomed to it. Our copper reservoir is so 

 high that it is out of the question to have the 

 pump, by means of a tin pipe, convey the water 

 into it direct, and the water has to be lifted up 

 and poured into it. Again, when it is wanted, 

 it must 1)6 all lifted out over the top with a 

 dipper; a laborious process when we t>ear in 

 mind the quantity tliat is heated in this way. 

 Well I at once suggested that one of our honey 

 gates should be soldered in the bottom of the 

 reservoir, that the water might be taken throu' 

 the side instead of over, and that we might get 

 any quantity witliout several times dipping. 

 What objection do you suppose the women 

 urge? Well, a lady that has used one thus, 

 says she would not have another under any 

 circumstances, because it is so very handy some 

 one will be constantly drawing all the water 

 out and thus leave the reservoir to burn. If 

 they were obliged to bail it out with the dip- 

 per it would be so much trouble that no one 

 would take it all. I suggested liaving the gate 

 np a ]>iecc from the bottom ; but no, they 

 would rather dip it over the top. The piece of 

 tin pipe proves an excellent thing on washing 

 days, to run the water from the pumps into the 

 tubs whenever wanted. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



^^^OU know this is my department, and that 

 sfEj I can use it for any purpose I choose. 

 Well, this is going to be a long chapter, and it 

 may be a little diflicult to see just where the 

 moral comes in, yet there is to be a moral to 

 every chapter, and this one is to be no excep- 

 tion. 



MR. ROOT. Dear iSir:~-J see by the paper yoa 

 sent me, finite a feeling in regard to the foun- 

 dation comb. While in X. Y., in 18()7 I think, I 

 1180(1 a lot of comb loumlution for trial ; 5t was merely 

 the division or the webbing t)et>Tcen the two cells. I 

 found it to work well in honey boxes for producing 

 straight combs (this was of worker size). As I pre- 

 ferred the drone size in the boxes 1 made a stamp in a 

 circular form, 3 inches in diameter and after the im- 

 pression was given, I cut the comb through the centre, 

 and by putting the cut edges next the top of the frame 

 it had tlie form of newly started comb. I experiment- 

 ed with it to fjuice an extent, and used it for all my 

 honey boxes. I found by making the sheets of wax 

 thicl;, it remained the same after they had worked it 

 and the wax remained yellow. The man of whom I 

 received the first comb claimed he got the stamps, I 

 think in Germany; be that as it may, an article to be 

 patentable must be new, or the features new, and to 

 the best of the inventor's judgment, the article must 

 never have been in use, or publicly used. If so, it 

 would be public property. I found the thin strips of 

 wax answered the same purpose as far as producing 

 straight combs was concerned. 



M. S. Snow, Ono, Wis., May ^d, '7G. 



We were aware that comb foundations had 

 been used in Europe, and in fact Mr. Wagner 

 wrote to that eflect, if we arc not mistaken ; 

 but when Mr. Perrine was here we by some 

 means overlooked the fact, although we did 

 tell Mr. P. that we could not understand how 

 Mr. W. could claim a patent on tlie article it- 

 self, and even showed some of Mr. AVs letters, 

 where he distinctly claimed the machine for 

 making the cell bases, as his invention. As 



these letters may be interesting, and as they 

 may tend to allay the scruples "that some may 

 have in regard to using the foundations, we 

 give some extracts , 



-■l«'7. IW;, 1370.— I enclose a sample of my artiticiaV 

 comb foundation, the only one at hand at present that 

 can g-o by mail safely. This was of course not intend- 

 ed for tlie service of the bees, but nserely to show the 

 accuracy of construction and convenience of haiDdling. 



With suitable material these foundations can be 

 made as tJi/ii as desirable, and I am now experiment- 

 ing to find that material. Wax alone is rather too 

 fragile, and the sheets are apt to be broken if handled 

 in cool weather or winter, besides not bearing trans- 

 portation well. At present. I prefer using strong, 

 thin paper, saturated with wax or a composition ol' 

 wax and rosin (10 to 1). If the paper be not thicker 

 tlian the base partitions should be, the bees will quick- 

 ly )-emovc the superthiou3 wax of the coating, and us<^ 

 it for building up the side walis of the cells, reducing 

 at the same time the foundations of those side walls 

 to the proper tenuity. This supplies them with about 

 as much material as they need for completing the 

 cells; and experience or trial has demonstrated that 

 they prefer this to having ful) depth artificial cells- 

 given them. I begin to doubt, indeed, whether this is 

 not more advantageous (apart from the saving) than 

 giving them full depth cells of natural comb, as the 

 lioutif; )>ecs must and will have employment, evcH 

 though it be at tenrin'j down. 



On my plan, comb foundations can be made of anj- 

 size and form desirable, or adapted to any framen 

 u-sed, as the moulds are constructed of hexagouaV 

 type, and stereotype or electrotype plates are then 

 prepared therefrom, of any dimensions needed, both 

 die and countersink. I liavc bees now at woik suc- 

 cessfully on such foundations, but desire to have ;t 

 needed alteration, or improvement rather, made in 

 the matrix of the type, before I got any more cast. 

 The matrix is now at the type foundry for that pur- 

 pose. 



I am very busv, at tliis time, on the Sept. A. B. ./., 

 which goes to press next week. As soon as I have 

 sufficient leisure, I will ts rite you more fully on this 

 matter, as I have some cjueer things to tell you in con- 

 nection with it. 



Sept. "itli, 1870.— Tlie mode of making combfoiradatioiiy. 

 of which I sent you a crude sample, was de\ised by me V> 

 years ago ; and patented in April, 18t>l, Ixjfore the appa- 

 ratus was fidly perfected, as the patent agent whom I h:id 

 employed, thought it better to dj that than to apply f )i- 

 an extension of the caveat entered a year previous. Tli" 

 war then came on, other enga^'ements multiplied (va m\ 

 hands, and the discontinuance of mails in the Southern 

 states constrained me to suspend the publication of tin- 

 Bee .louriial at the close of the tirst \^)hune. So, as re- 

 gards the "foundations," matters remained till within a 

 year past, when becoming more and more assured of the 

 importance and value of the iuvcntioii, I took it in han I 

 again, striving to jwrfect the apparatus, and experiment- 

 ing to fmd the best and clieapest material for foundations 

 acceptable to the bees. I think I have now accumplishe 1 

 both objects ; though it is probable I sliall not be able \>< 

 bring the invention into jiractical use before spring. 



In the course of my experiments, I satisiicd myself, ful- 

 ly, that, as stated in the spccilication of my patent !» years 

 ago, there is no iidvaiitage in giving the bees fulldeidli 

 cells ; and ev«n the rudimental bases of side walls, as 

 provided tor in my moulds, can be dispensal with. If 

 thin paper be used, well saturated with wax, a clear and 

 distinct impression of the rliomboidal facets, as seen in 

 the bottom of the cells, is a sufficient and sure guide for 



