70 THE apiaey; ok, 



exhibited in tlie International Exhibition of 1862, when the 

 pattern roller was purchased by ourselves. 



The bars of a hive prepared with these markings in wax afPord 

 ready made foundations for regular combs, which very much 

 facilitate the operations of the bees. 



IMPEESSED WAX SHEETS EOE ARTIPICIAX COMB. 



These artificial partition walls for combs are sheets of genuine 

 wax, about the substance of thin cardboard. They receive 

 rhomboidal impressions by being pressed between two metal 

 plates, carefully and mathematically prepared and cast so that 

 the impressions are exactly the same size as the base of the cells of 

 a honey-comb. An inspection of a piece of comb wUl show that 

 the division of the opposite cells is made by a thin partition wall 

 common to both ; now the substance of this is said to be only the 

 one hundred and eightieth part of an inch, whilst the artificial ones 

 we are recommending are between the thirtieth and fortieth part of 

 an inch, more than four times the thickness of the handy- work of the 

 bees themselves. It would, indeed, be vain to attempt to furnish 

 sheets of wax at all approaching their own dehcate fabric; the 

 impressed sheets are quite as thin as they can be to bear the 

 handling which is requisite for fixing them in the hives. We 

 find, however, that the thickness is no disadvantage; the bees 

 speedily excavate and jaare the artificial sheet so as to suit their 

 own notions of the substance required; then, with admirable 

 economy, they use the surplus thus obtained for the construction of 

 the cells. After a sheet has been partly worked at by the bees, 

 it is interesting to hold it up to the light and observe the beautiful 

 transparency of that part of it contrasted with the opaqueness of 

 the part not yet laboured upon. 



When it is considered, as writers tell us, that more than four- 

 teen pounds of honey are required for the secretion and elaboration of 

 a single pound of comb, it will not be difficult to form a just estimate 

 of the value of this invention, which thus furnishes cheap and excel- 

 lent assistance to our industrious favorites. It also shows the bee- 

 keeper that all clean empty combs should be carefully preserved, 

 and considered as valuable stock. Another great advantage that it 

 afl'ords ,us is, that it renders us independent of guide comb, which is 



