COMB FOUNDATION.
Every apiarist of experience knows that empty combs in frames,
comb-guides in the sections, to tempt the bees and to insure the proper
position of the full combs, in fact, combs of almost any kind or shape,
are of great importance. So every skillful apiarist is very careful
to save all drone-comb that is cut out of the brood-chamber--where it
is worse than useless, as it brings with it myriads of those useless
gormands, the drones--to kill the eggs, remove the brood, or extract
the honey, and to transfer it to the sections. He is equally careful
to keep all his worker-comb, so long as the cells are of proper size
to domicile full-sized larvæ, and never to sell any comb, or even
comb-honey, unless a much greater price makes it desirable.
No wonder, then, if comb is so desirable, that German thought and
Yankee ingenuity have devised means of giving the bees at least a start
in this important, yet expensive work of comb-building, and hence the
origin of another great aid to the apiarist--comb foundation (Fig. 65).
[Illustration: Fig. 65.]
HISTORY.
For more than twenty years the Germans have used impressed sheets of
wax as a foundation for comb, as it was first made by Herr Mehring, in
1857. These sheets are four or five times as thick as the partition at
the centre of natural comb, which is very thin, only 1-180 of an inch
thick. This is pressed between metal plates so accurately formed that
the wax receives rhomboidal impressions which are a _fac simile_ of the
basal wall or partition between the opposite cells of natural comb. The
thickness of this sheet is no objection, as it is found that the bees
almost always thin it down to the natural thickness, and probably use
the shavings to form the walls.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION.
Mr. Wagner secured a patent on foundation in 1861, but as the article
was already in use in Germany, the patent was, as we understand, of no
legal value, and certainly, as it did nothing to bring this desirable
article into use, it had no virtual value. Mr. Wagner was also the
first to suggest the idea of rollers. In Langstroth's work, edition
of 1859, p. 373, occurs the following, in reference to printing or
stamping combs: "Mr. Wagner suggests forming these outlines with a
simple instrument somewhat like a wheel cake cutter. When a large
number are to be made, a machine might easily be constructed which
would stamp them with great rapidity." In 1866, the King Brothers, of
New York, in accordance with the above suggestion, invented the first
machine with rollers, the _product_ of which they tried but failed to
get patented. These stamped rollers were less than two inches long.
This machine was useless, and failed to bring foundation into general
use.
In 1874, Mr. Frederick Weiss, a poor German, invented the machine which
brought the foundation into general use. His machine had lengthened
rollers--they being six inches long--and shallow grooves between the
pyramidal projections, so that there was a very shallow cell raised
from the basal impression as left by the German plates. This was the
machine on which was made the beautiful and practical foundation sent
out by "John Long," in 1874 and 1875, and which proved to the American
apiarists that foundation machines, and foundation, too, were to be a
success. I used some of this early foundation, and have been no more
successful with that made by the machines of to-day. To Frederick
Weiss, then, are Americans and the world indebted for this invaluable
aid to the apiarist. Yet, the poor old man has, I fear, received very
meager profits from this great invention, while some writers ignore
his services entirely, not granting him the poor meed of the honor.
Since that time many machines have been made, without even a thank you,
as I believe, to this old man, Weiss. Does not this show that patents,
or something--a higher morality, if you please--is necessary, that
men may secure justice? True, faulty foundation, and faulty machines
were already in use, but it was the inventive skill of Mr. Weiss that
made foundation cheap and excellent, and thus popularized it with the
American apiarists.
[Illustration: Fig. 66.]
These Weiss machines turn out the comb-foundation not only of
exquisite mold, but with such rapidity that it can be made cheap
and practicable. Heretofore these machines have been sold at an
enormous profit. Last November, 1877, I expostulated with one of the
manufacturers of American machines, because of the high price, saying,
as I looked at one of the machines: These ought to be sold for thirty
or forty dollars, instead of one hundred dollars. He replied that such
machines--with rollers, not plates--that gave the foundation the exact
figure of natural comb, were only made, he thought, by the person who
made his machines, and thus convinced me that said person should be
rewarded, _amply rewarded_, for his invention. But as I have since
learned that this is only the Weiss machine, and does no more perfect
work, I now think Mr. Weiss should receive the super-extra profits.
Even with machines at one hundred dollars, foundation was profitable,
as I with many others have found. But with the present price--forty
dollars, which I think, judging from the simplicity of the machine,
advertised at that price (Fig. 66), must be reduced still lower--we can
hardly conceive what an immense business this is soon to become.
HOW FOUNDATION IS MADE.
The process of making the foundation is very simple. Thin sheets of
wax, as thin as is consistent with strength, are simply passed between
the rollers, which are so made as to stamp worker or drone foundation,
as may be desired. The rollers are well covered with starch-water to
secure against adhesion. Two men can roll out about four hundred pounds
per day.
[Illustration: Fig. 67.]
TO SECURE THE WAX SHEETS.
To make the thin sheets of wax, Mr. A. I. Root takes sheets or plates
of galvanized iron with a wooden handle. These are cooled by dipping in
ice-water, and then are dipped two, or three times if the wax is very
hot, in the melted wax, which is maintained at the proper temperature
by keeping it in a double-walled vessel, with hot water in the outer
chamber. Such a boiler, too, prevents burning of the wax, which would
ruin it, while it is being melted. After dipping the plates in the wax,
they are again dipped, when dripping has ceased, into the cold water,
after which the sheets of wax are cleaved off, the plates brushed,
wiped, cooled, and dipped again. The boiler used in melting the wax
has the gate with a fine wire sieve attached near the top, so that
the wax as it is drawn off into the second boiler, will be thoroughly
cleansed. Mr. Root states that two men and a boy will thus make four
hundred pounds of wax sheets in a day.
Others use wooden plates on which to mold the sheets, while the
Hetherington brothers prefer, and are very successful with a wooden
cylinder, which is made to revolve in the melted wax, and is so hinged,
that it can be speedily raised above or lowered into the liquid.
For cutting foundation, nothing is so admirable as the Carlin cutter
(Fig. 67, _a_), which is like the wheel glass-cutters sold in the
shops, except that a larger wheel of tin takes the place of the one of
hardened steel. Mr. A. I. Root has suggested a grooved board (Fig. 67,
_b_) to go with the above, the distance between the grooves being equal
to the desired width of the strips of comb foundation to be cut.
USE OF FOUNDATION.
I have used foundation, as have many other more extensive apiarists,
with perfect success in the section-boxes. The bees have so thinned it
that even epicures could not tell comb-honey with such foundation, from
that wholly made by the bees. Yet, I forbear recommending it for such
use. When such men as Hetherington, Moore, Ellwood, and L. C. Root,
protest against a course, it is well to pause before we adopt it; so,
while I have used foundation, I think with some small advantage in
sections and boxes for three years, I shall still pronounce against it.
It will not be well to have the word artificial hitched on to our
comb-honey. I think it exceedingly wise to maintain inviolate in the
public mind the idea that comb-honey is _par excellence_, a natural
product. And as Captain Hetherington aptly suggests, this argument is
all the more weighty, in view of the filthy condition of much of our
commercial beeswax.
Again, our bees may not always thin the foundation, and we risk our
reputation in selling it in comb-honey, and an unquestioned reputation
is too valuable to be endangered in this way, especially as in these
days of adulteration, we may not know how much paraffine, etc., there
is in our foundation, unless we make it ourselves.
Lastly, there is no great advantage in its use in the sections, as
drone-comb is better, and with caution and care this can be secured
in ample quantities to furnish very generous starters for all our
sections. This will readily adhere, if the edge be dipped into melted
beeswax, and applied to the sections.
If any one should still be disposed to make such use of foundation,
they should only purchase of very reliable parties, that they may
be sure to use only such wax as is genuine, _yellow_, clean, and
_certainly unmixed with paraffine_, or any of the commercial products
which were first used to adulterate the wax. _Only pure, clean,
unbleached wax should be used in making foundation._ We should be _very
careful_ not to put on the market any comb-honey where the foundation
had not been properly thinned by the bees. Perhaps a very fine needle
would enable one to determine this point without injury to the honey.
But the most promising use of foundation, to which there can be no
objection, is in the brood-chamber. It is astonishing to see how
rapidly the bees will extend the cells, and how readily the queen will
stock them with eggs if of the right size, five cells to the inch.
_The foundation should always be the right size either for worker
or drone-comb._ Of course the latter size would never be used in
the brood-chamber. The advantage of foundation is, first, to insure
worker-comb, and thus worker-brood, and second, to furnish wax, so that
the bees may be free to gather honey. We proved in our apiary the past
two seasons, that by use of foundation, and a little care in pruning
out the drone-comb, we could limit or even exclude drones from our
hives, and we have but to examine the capacious and constantly crowded
stomachs of these idlers, to appreciate the advantage of such a course.
Bees may occasionally tear down worker-cells and build drone-cells in
their place; but such action, I believe, is not sufficiently extensive
to ever cause anxiety. I am also certain that bees that have to
secrete wax to form comb, do much less gathering. Wax secretion seems
voluntary, and when rapid seems to require quiet and great consumption
of food. If we make two artificial colonies equally strong, supply the
one with combs, and withhold them from the other, we will find that
this last sends much fewer bees to the fields, while all the bees are
more or less engaged in wax secretion. Thus the other colony gains
much more rapidly in honey, first, because more bees are storing;
second, because less food is consumed. This is undoubtedly the reason
why extracted-honey can be secured in far greater abundance than can
comb-honey.
The foundation if used the full depth of the frame, stretches so that
many cells are so enlarged as to be used for drone-brood. This demands,
if we use the sheets unstrengthened, that they only be used as guides,
not reaching more than one-third of the depth of the frame. Strips not
less than four inches wide will not sag to do any harm. The foundation,
too, should not quite reach the sides of the frame, as by expansion it
is liable to warp and bend. Captain J. E. Hetherington has invented a
cure for this stretching and warping, by strengthening the foundation.
To do this, he runs several fine copper wires into the foundation as it
passes through the machine.
I understand, too, that Mr. M. Metcalf, of this State, has a similar
device now being patented.
This is a valuable suggestion, as it permits full-sized sheets of
foundation to be inserted in the frames. I presume that very soon all
worker-foundation will contain such wires.
TO FASTEN THE FOUNDATION.
In the thin sections, the foundation can best be fastened by use of
the melted wax. To accomplish this, I have used a block made thus: Saw
a fifteen-sixteenths inch board so that it will just exactly fill a
section. Screw this to a second board, which is one-half inch broader
each way, so that the larger under board will project one-quarter of
an inch each side the top board. Now set the section over the top
board, place the foundation, cut a trifle shorter than the inside of
the section, within, close to the top and one side of the section, and
cause it to adhere by running on a little of the melted wax, which, by
use of a kerosene lamp or stove, may be kept melted. If the basin is
double-walled, with water in the outer chamber and wax in the inner, it
is much safer, as then the wax will never burn.
If the tops of the sections are thick, they may be grooved, and by
crowding the foundation into the groove, and, if necessary, pressing it
with a thin wedge, it will be securely held.
[Illustration: Fig. 68.]
This last method will work nicely in case of fastening into the
brood-frames. But I have found that I could fasten them rapidly
and very securely by simply pressing them against the rectangular
projection from the top-bar already described (page 134). In this case
a block (Fig, 68, _a_) should reach up into the frame from the side
which is nearest to the rectangular projection--it will be remembered
that the projection (Fig. 36) is a little to one side of the centre
of the top-bar, so that the foundation shall hang exactly in the
centre--so far that its upper surface would be exactly level with the
upper surface of the rectangular projection. This block, like the one
described above, has shoulders (Fig. 68, _f_), so that it will always
reach just the proper distance into the frame. It is also rabbeted at
the edge where the projection of the top-bar of the frame will rest,
(Fig. 68, _b_), so that the projection has a solid support, and will
not split off with pressure. We now set our frame on this block, lay
on our foundation, cut the size we desire, which, unless strengthened,
will be as long as the frame, and about four inches wide. The
foundation will rest firmly on the projection and block, and touch the
top-bar, at every point. We now take a board as thick as the projection
is deep, and as wide (Fig. 69, _d_) as the frame is long, which may
be trimmed off, so as to have a convenient handle (Fig. 69, _e_),
and by wetting the edge of this (Fig. 69, _d_) either in water, or,
better, starch-water, and pressing with it on the foundation above the
projection, the foundation will be made to adhere firmly to the latter,
when the frame may be raised with the block, taken off, and another
fastened as before. I have practiced this plan for two years, and have
had admirable success. I have very rarely known the foundation to drop,
though it must be remembered that our hives are shaded, and our frames
small.
[Illustration: Fig. 69.]
The above methods are successful, but probably will receive valuable
modifications at the hands of the ingenius apiarists of our land. Study
in this direction will unquestionably pay, as the use of this material
is going to be very extensive, and any improvements will be hailed with
joy by the bee-keeping fraternity.
SAVE THE WAX.
As foundation is becoming so popular, and is destined to come into
general use, it behooves us all to be very careful that no old comb
goes to waste. Soiled drone-comb, old, worthless worker-comb, and all
fragments that cannot be used in the hives, together with cappings,
after the honey is drained out through a coarse bag or colander--which
process may be hastened by a moderate heat, not sufficient to melt the
wax, and frequent stirring--should be melted, cleansed, and molded
into cakes of wax, soon to be again stamped, not by the bees, but by
wondrous art.
METHODS.
A slow and wasteful method is to melt in a vessel of heated water,
and to purify by turning off the top, or allowing to cool, when the
impurities at the bottom are scraped off, and the process repeated till
all impurities are eliminated.
A better method to separate the wax is to put it into a strong, rather
coarse bag, then sink this in water and boil. At intervals the comb in
the bag should be pressed and stirred. The wax will collect on top of
the water.
To prevent the bag from burning, it should be kept from touching the
bottom of the vessel by inverting a basin in the bottom of the latter,
or else by using a double-walled vessel. The process should be repeated
till the wax is perfectly cleansed.
But, as wax is to become so important, and as the above methods are
slow, wasteful, and apt to give a poor quality of wax, specialists,
and even amateurs who keep as many as ten or twenty colonies of
bees, may well procure a wax extractor (Fig. 70). This is also a
foreign invention, the first being made by Prof. Gerster, of Berne,
Switzerland. These cost from five to seven dollars, are made of tin,
are very convenient and admirable, and can be procured of any dealer in
apiarian supplies.
[Illustration: Fig. 70.]
By this invention, all the wax, even of the oldest combs, can be
secured, in beautiful condition, and as it is perfectly neat, there
is no danger of provoking the "best woman in the world," as we are in
danger of doing by use of either of the above methods--for what is more
untidy and perplexing than to have wax boil over on the stove, and
perhaps get on to the floor, and be generally scattered about.
All pieces of comb should be put into a close box, and if any larvæ are
in it, the comb should be melted so frequently that it would not smell
badly. By taking pains, both in collecting and melting, the apiarist
will be surprised at the close of the season, as he views his numerous
and beautiful cakes of comb, and rejoice as bethinks how little trouble
it has all cost.