Charlevoix county herald., 1909-02-13

domen are about 100000 glands, from
which the wax is secreted as a white
liquid, which hardens on exposure to.
the air.
1T is evident from the best authori-
ties that the form and method OF wax
secretion were KNOWN as early as
1851, and possibly at even an earlier
date. The extraordinary economy of
the use of wax is shown by the fact
that the hive of eight to ten gallons
capacity will yield but about two
pounds of wax when melted. Accord
ing to DR.. Donhoff the thickness
of the sides of cell in a new comb
is only the 1-180th part Of an inch.
Cheshire states that he found some
that measured only 1-400th part of an
inch
Notwithstanding the fragile nature
Of the hcneycomb, it is still sufficient
~ strong to carry the relatively i'm
| nense load of sweets stored in its
cells. The perfection of insect labor
Is shown, by the fact that human in
genuity has never Eeen able to make
artificial honeycomb. The tales con
corning manufactured honeycomb are
| fgments of the imagination Consider
that any machinery devised for manu-
featuring honeycomb would make all
parts alike in similar sections Exam
inc carefully two or more one pound
! boxes of honey at your grocers, and
! you will note The difference in the fin
sh of cappings and building the comt
! fast 20 the wooden casing, which wilt
at once convince you of the genuine
ness Of the article
Not only does the bee excel as an
artisan, but also as a chemist Its,
honey stomach is the most delicate
chemical laboratory in the world. Here
the nectar of the flowers is trans
! formed from a highly diluted sweet
susceptible of speedy fermentation
into the most perfect food product
known. This chemical change, in
verting the sugar, according to the
chemists phrase, is undoubtedly ac.
complished in the laboratory of the
bee during its short flight from the
| field to the hive. This chemical reac-
ton is so delicate that no laboratory
aside from that of the bee can success.
fully accomplish it.
Consider the queen bee, the sole
and undisputed monarch of her en-
pire. Endowed with powers super.
human, she governs without exercising
visible authority. rules without coer-
cion. Her subjects go about their
tasks with that cheerful zeal which
can only accompany toll fully recon-
pensed. and offer to men, torn into fac
tions of contending opinion, an ideal
social state where every member of
the community is a toiler and all are
prosperous. peaceful and content.
THE queen bee is sole mother of
the race All life from the egg that
great biological axiom, is exemplified
in the hive. The queen mother pass
ing rapidly from comb to comb, places
a single egg in each selected cell, lay
ing the inconceivable number of 5000
to 1000 in "a hours. This labor rep
resents in single day the expenditure
of physical substanc equal to two and
one-half times the weight of her body.
Consequently she does not even feed
herself, being always accompanied by
a devoted group of maids of honor,
worker bees, whose office it is to bring
in profusion the choicest predigested
food to their ruler Not the least of
the wonderful powers Of the queen is
that of pre-determining the sex of the
| offspring which shall result from eggs
precisely alike under the micro
scope but which in turn may eventu-
ate In worker, drone or queen, as
their mother may elect