On the Threshold of the Hive 
extraordinary success. Root, Quinby, Da- 
dant, Cheshire, De Layens, Cowan, Heddon, 
Howard, &c., added still further and pre- 
cious improvement. Then it occurred to 
Mehring that if bees were supplied with 
combs that had an artificial waxen founda- 
tion, they would be spared the labour of 
fashioning the wax and constructing the 
cells, which costs them much honey and 
the best part of their time. He found that 
the bees accepted these combs most readily, 
and adapted them to their requirements. 
Major de Hruschka invented the honey- 
extractor, which enables the honey to be 
withdrawn by centrifugal force without 
breaking the combs, &c. And thus, in a 
few years, the methods of apiculture under- 
went a radical change. The capacity and 
fruitfulness of the hives were trebled. Great 
and productive apiaries arose on every side. 
An end was put to the useless destruc- 
tion of the most industrious cities, and to 
the odious selection of the least fit, which 
was its result. Man has truly become: the 
master of the bees, although furtively, and 
without their knowledge; directing all 
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