§ VIII. IMPRESSED WAX SHEETS.
These artificial partition walls for combs are sheets of genuine wax, about the substance of thin cardboard. They receive rhomboidal impressions by being pressed between two metal plates, carefully and mathematically prepared and cast so that the impressions are exactly the same size as the base of the cells of a honeycomb. An inspection of a piece of comb will show that the division of the opposite cells is made by a thin partition-wall, common to both. The substance of this is said to be only the one hundred and eightieth part of an inch, whilst the artificial ones we are recommending are between the thirtieth and fortieth part of an inch, or more than four times the thickness of the handiwork of the bees themselves. It would, indeed, be vain to attempt to furnish them with sheets of wax at all approaching their own delicate fabric, and our sheets are quite as thin as they can be to bear the handling requisite for fixing them in the hives. We find, however, that the thickness is no disadvantage; the bees speedily excavate and pare the artificial sheet so as to suit their own notions of the substance required; then, with admirable economy, they use the surplus thus obtained for the construction of the cells. After a sheet has been partly worked at by the bees, it is interesting to hold it up to the light and observe the beautiful transparency of that part of it, contrasted with the opaqueness of the part not yet laboured upon.
This invention renders us independent of guide-comb, which is not always obtainable. It comes to us from Germany, where it has attained many years of success. At the International Exhibition of 1862 we purchased the metal plates or castings, so as to manufacture the impressed sheets with which we are now able to supply our customers; and after the careful trials we have made we have great confidence in recommending them. As will be seen below, however, we no longer advise insertion of entire sheets.
In the season of 1863 we furnished a Woodbury glass super with the wax sheets fixed to the bars in the way hereafter to be explained, and it was truly astonishing to mark the rapidity with which these sheets of wax were converted into comb. Receptacles were quickly made ready for the storing of honey, and the new combs soon became beautifully white; for, although the artificial wax has a yellow tinge, yet, after being worked at and made thinner, it is as good in colour as ordinary combs.
If whole sheets are used—or, in the case of supers, half ones—perhaps the simplest plan for fastening them is to fix a strip of wood with brads to the under side of the top frame or bar; place the wax sheet against this, then wedge another strip close to it, and thus hold the wax sheet firmly in the centre of the frame, taking care also to make the second strip of wood fast with brads. This has however the objection that it slightly diminishes the space. The wax plates must not extend to the bottom of the frame; a space of at least one inch should be left for expansion, because the bees, in working the plate, stretch it down lower. We also use a few pins firmly pressed into the frames, and long enough to reach the edge of the plate; for by fixing three or four pins on each side, both at the sides and at the bottom, the plate may be held in an exactly central position within the frame.
We are now disposed to make a great modification in the above directions, and, instead of using entire sheets of wax, we cut strips from them of about an inch in width, and place these in the bars as before, when they form an edged projection of half or three-quarters of an inch. We have found an objection to the entire sheets in the fact that they sometimes curl and break with the weight of the bees—so eagerly does a new swarm apply itself to work upon them—and thus become an obstruction instead of a help.
Strips of cardboard or wood shaving, dipped in hot wax or well besmeared therewith, may be substituted for the wax strips themselves. Where no slit is made for the insertion of either, the shaving running down the lower edge of the bar may be simply rubbed with hot wax, and the same purpose will be served.