ADULTERATION OF WAX 199 
make comb foundation possible, extensive use has been made of 
it among the bee-men themselves. 
Next to the movable frame hive, comb foundation has per- 
haps made possible the greatest advance in bee culture. Without 
the use of foundation it is a very difficult matter to get straight 
combs or to prevent the bees from building crosswise or otherwise 
than according to the bee-keeper’s wishes. With the use of foun- 
dation the possibilities of honey production are multiplied and 
no practical honey producer would think of doing without it. 
Only pure beeswax should be used in foundation as otherwise 
the sale of honey in combs built on it would be a violation of 
the pure food laws. Fortunately little if any adulteration of 
comb foundation is practised, the manufacturers being very care- 
ful to test all wax used for the purpose and the bee-keeper can 
buy from any of the well-known manufacturers with confidence. 
The wax is melted in the factory and wound in long sheets 
which are run through mills bearing the impression of the size 
and shape of the worker cells. As the foundation is printed it 
is cut in strips of convenient length and these are wrapped in 
thin paper to prevent sticking together when warm. The papered 
strips are then packed in paper boxes in such quantities as the 
needs of the market demand. Use of foundation is considered 
in the chapters relating to comb and extracted honey. 
Substitutes for Beeswax.—Various mineral and vegetable 
waxes have taken the place of beeswax in various commercial 
uses. These waxes can be produced much cheaper and answer 
fully as well for many purposes. Paraffin, ceresin and several 
others are well-known commercial products. Substitutes for 
wax made into foundation will not be accepted by the bees. 
Adulteration of Wax.—Dealers who buy beeswax must exer- 
cise constant vigilance to avoid being imposed upon by an adul- 
terated product. As the adulterations can be purchased at prices 
much below that of beeswax, dishonest men see possibilities of 
great profit if they can sell their dishonest product. Various 
tests have been discovered for detecting the adulterations until 
