CHAPTER VII. 



COMB-FOUNDATION. 



.^BIt^tJliifeJiafei..i 



Comb-foundation is simply a thin sheet of beeswax 

 upon which the bases of the honey-comb cells, and a 

 very slight portion of the side walls have been im- 

 pressed ; upon this foundation the bees construct the 

 complete comb. 

 As a real prac- 

 tical aid to bee- 

 culture it first 

 came into use in 

 1877, though 

 several attempts 

 had been pre- 

 viously made to 

 make it commer- 

 cially useful, but 

 without success. 

 It would be im- 

 possible to esti- 





Fig. 37. COMB-FOUNDATION. 



mate its great value in the progress of commercial 

 bee-keeping. 



It has been greatly improved in its manufacture 

 during late years, the old style of sheeting it from 

 molten wax has gone completely out of date. The 

 "Weed" foundation (named after the inventor),, is 

 quite a superior article. Though soft, it is tough and 

 non-brittle. It is made direct from blocks of wax 

 under great pressure; the process is patented by the 

 A. I. Root Company, of America. Excepting in the 



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