35 
whether more wonderful or not, certainly appear to ex- 
plain the origin and formation of the honey-comb 
more clearly than the supposition that the wax is 
gathered by the bees, or that it evaporates from the bees 
like a fume until in some intangible manner it is made 
to stop and “ crystalize around hexagonal cells.” 
[The fume theory of honey-comb formation was pub- 
lished in the American Artisan 011867.] 
The weight of new comb required to fill a hive of 
ordinary size is about two pounds; to produce this 
comb, at least thirty pounds of honey are consumed, 
and taking into consideration the time lost by the bees 
while building it, (which might be otherwise employed 
in gathering honey), it would make each pound of wax 
equivalent to at least twenty-five pounds of honey. 
This honey, at thirty cents per pound, would make the 
cost of each pound of comb seven dollars and fifty 
cents. 
From these figures the bee-keeper can judge the 
value of good comb, for, if melted into marketable wax, 
it would seldom bring more than fifty cents per pound, 
making a loss of seven dollars. 
All good comb should be employed in the hive. If 
movable-comb hives are used, worker-comb can readily 
be fastened in the frames by dipping one edge into 
melted wax and attached with it ; even drone-comb, if 
not too dark colored, should be used in the honey-boxes. 
