226 
COMB HONEY, APPLIANCES FOR 
while the call for comb honey has become 
less and less. That is wrong'. So long as it 
is admitted that comb honey has a little 
finer flavor than the same honey out of the 
comb, beekeepers should foster the de¬ 
mands of all classes of consumers. When 
it is remembered that comb honey, as a 
rule, retails at two or three times the price 
of extracted, it goes to show that there are 
thousands and thousands of consumers who 
prefer honey in that form, even if they 
have to pay double price. 
In the early 80’s the statement was made 
that comb honey could be manufactured— 
“combs made out of paraffin, filled with 
glucose, and capped over with appropriate 
machinery.” This canard went like wild¬ 
fire over the country; and even to this day 
there are some who believe that honey in 
sections is manufactured, because it is un¬ 
like the honey they saw on the old farm. 
Except in a very small way it is impossible 
to make honeycomb as perfect and delicate 
as the bees do. On a commercial basis it is 
an utter impossibility. Dies could be made 
that would press wax in a semi-melted con¬ 
dition in the shape of a honeycomb. So 
far, so good; but it would be impossible to 
make any dies that will free themselves 
from the comb after it is pressed into shape 
without tearing' the comb to pieces. Any 
mechanic or die-maker knows that the idea 
is utterly absurd. Even if it were possible 
to construct the combs, it would be impos¬ 
sible to fill them with glucose, and equally 
impossible to spread a film of wax over the 
filled cells that would come anywhere near 
imitating the appearance of comb produced 
by the bees. Any consumer who has a sus¬ 
picion that combs in sections are manufac¬ 
tured, has only to look over a dozen or 
more sections at any grocery. He will find 
no two of them alike. If combs were built 
from dies, they would appear all alike, like 
the common rough-faced cement blocks 
which are made in one mold. But a com¬ 
parison of any two boxes of comb honey 
will show that bees make each section dif¬ 
ferent from all others. The attachments 
at the sides of the sections vary, as well as 
the surfaces of the cappings. 
It is hardly necessary to tell the reader 
of this work that combs are not manufac¬ 
tured; but sometimes he will meet prospec¬ 
tive customers who will tell him in the 
most brazen way that the product he is 
trying to sell them is “manufactured.” 
COMB HONEY, APPLIANCES FOR. 
—Years ago, most comb honey was pro¬ 
duced in glass boxes. These were about five 
inches square, fifteen or sixteen inches 
long, glassed on both ends. They were not 
altogether an attractive package, and were 
never put upon the market without beihg 
more or less soiled with burr-combs and 
propolis. As they held from 10 to 15 
pounds of honey each, they contained a 
larger quantity than most families cared to 
purchase at once. To obviate these and 
other difficulties, what is popularly known 
as the “section honey-box” was invented, 
holding little less than a pound. 
It was what was wanted—a small pack¬ 
age for comb honey. Thus was accom¬ 
plished, not only the introduction of a 
smaller package for comb honey, but one 
attractive and readily marketable. The re¬ 
tailer is able to supply his customer with 
a small quantity of comb honey without 
