THE VALUE OF BEESWAX. 253 



WAX PRODUCTION. 



Nature is very economic in all her ways, although she some- 

 times appears to be very lavish in her productions. This may seem 

 contradictory, but it is not so. Where there seems to be a lavish 

 expenditure, Nature's object is, "supply according to demand.'' 

 Labour and production, with all Nature's tiny workers, go hand 

 in hand, although with some insects occasionally the labour seems 

 excessive in comparison with the article produced, notably is this 

 the case with some of the mason bees. No insect appears to be 

 more saving in the article produced than the hive bee. Every 

 grain of wax is thriftly husbanded ; the walls of the cells are always 

 carefully pared down to the thinnest limit compatible with 

 strength. In a state of nature bees use the same combs and cells 

 for years without renewing them. The old box hive was only one 

 removed from Nature's primitive ways. It is the bar-frame hive 

 that suggested such wonderful advancements in the method of bee- 

 keeping; and it is the bar-frame that has given us the courage 

 to take such daring liberties with the internal workings of the 

 bee-hive. Francis Huber's experiments gave insight to the fact 

 that bees may be forced to' produce wax in a greater abundance 

 than was necessary for the primary economy of the hive. .Nature, 

 which has taught bees so much, has instructed them in the regular 

 preservation of a uniform distance between the combs. But fre- 

 quently on the approach of autumn the honey cells are elongated 

 so that the comb may contain a much greater quantity of stores. 

 In the old fashion hives the angles of the box sometimes contained 

 comb of abnormal thickness, not unfrequently cell upon cell to 

 more than twice the ordinary dimensions. On the return of 

 spring such cells are reduced to the uniform normal length. 

 Lengthening a cell, as far as the bees are concerned, is the same 

 as constructing a new comb ; therefore to produce an extra quantity 

 of wax it is only necessary to place the completed combs sufficiently 

 far apart to give the bees enough room to construct an additional 

 comb in the interstice, and as fast as the new comb is produced 

 to remove it to the melting pot. Of course this can only be done 

 when bar-frames are used. 



ADULTERATION OF WAX. 



The demand for beeswax has stimulated the dishonest to try 

 all ways and means to adulterate the genuine article and increase 

 the profits of the dishonest. Not long since I was called in to 



