bbe-keepkr's manual. 105 



building, or working in wax being carried on, and I 

 have given the subject my most faithful attention. 



I now affirm, that a hive well filled with combs and 

 bees, having no extra room for wax-working, may be 

 placed along side of a hive, having the same number of 

 bees, but the hive only half filled with combs, and the 

 pollen gathered by the bees of the hive that is filled. with 

 combs, shall even exceed the quantity that is gathered by 

 the bees of the other hive, which shall be vigorously 

 working in wax in filling their domicil with the usual 

 combs. Now, if pollen were the constituent principle 

 of wax, the case would be reversed, and more pollen 

 would be gathered in the hive but partially filled with 

 combs, than in the full one. 



POLLEN ADMITTED TO BE A COMPONENT PART OF ORDINARY 

 BEES-WAX. 



Again, pollen being a di-yer substance than wax, and 

 containing but few adhesive properties as it is brought 

 into the hive ; and the color of wax always being white, 

 while pollen is of various hues, seems to put the question 

 at rest, proving that wax must be made from some 

 other substance. It is true, however, that pollen forms 

 a part of wax ; when the combs are immersed in boiling 

 water for the purpose of extracting it, the pollen then 

 gives it its yellow hue ; but ordinary bees-wax is quite 

 a different substance from that which is used to build 

 combs, and the difference arises from the fact that pol- 

 len composes a large proportion of this latter substance, 

 when prepared for market ; whereas, ihe original sub- 

 5* 



