46 



THF BEE-KEEPERS' REVij!jW. 



Although bar hives were invented as early 

 as 1825, and ten or fifteen years later combs 

 were made movable by severing the side 

 attachments and removing them with the 

 bars, not until our Langstroth in 1852 con- 

 structed the first thoroughly practical mov- 

 able frame was the invention recognized as 

 an ideal one. 



Seemingly, artificial combs that could be 

 cheaply made, and thoroughly adapted to 

 the requirements of the bees, as well as the 

 bee-keeper, would approximate the highest 

 ideal. Such combs would afford thorough 

 control and limit the production of drones 

 to those colonies most desirable, while their 

 adaptability for the production of extracted 

 honey would add to their value ; and if con- 

 structed of a material being a non-conductor 

 of heat, as well as substantial — and proof 

 against the inroads of bee moth ; they 

 would prove a valuable acquisition in the 

 hands of skilled bee-keepers. 



During the year 18S(] I conceived the idea 

 of constructing artificial combs of wuod. 



time, I succeeded in making a set of combs 

 for trial. As each comb contained 3,872 

 cells in Gallup frames the reader can imag- 

 ine how slow was the process. In addition 

 to the boring machine, a dipping vat was 

 required, also an extractor of peculiar con- 

 struction with a hot water jacket to prevent 

 the accumulation of wax on any of its 

 parts. 



Having made the first set of combs, to my 

 great delight I found they were readily 

 accepted by the bees, both for brood rear- 

 ing and the storage of honey. The greatest 

 difficulty which presented itself was the cost 

 of construction — and not until after an ex- 

 penditure of more than a thousand dollars 

 in the construction of a multiple boring 

 machine with a capacity of 8S twist drills 

 that would complete a comb every fifteen 

 minutes, was any progress achieved. Ad- 

 ditional progress was made later by mak- 

 ing the cells hexagonal. 



The accompanying illustration shows the 

 wooden comb for a deep frame hive. It ig 





♦*»**••»••' 



the cells to occupy a position lengthwise 

 with the grain. Such an arrangement would 

 insure great strength and durability. I in- 

 ferred that dipping such combs in melted 

 wax, or parafine, sufficiently long to incor- 

 porate it with the wood, would render them 

 acceptable to the bees. In undertaking the 

 work, one great difficulty was to construct a 

 machine to bore the cells, round cells being 

 the first devised. However, by improving 

 a cheap machine which bored one cell at a 



reversible simply by changing the movable 

 castings from the top to the bottom bars. 

 This feature, however, is of no practical 

 value. The combs are made of pieces saw- 

 ed from 3-inch planks, which are shaped 

 and bored ; after which glued together and 

 bolted through the top and bottom bars. 

 These combs are now made in closed end 

 frames. A winter passage is shown, which 

 also is of but little use. 

 Although I have had artificial combs in 



