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Show !. HONEY BEES NEEDED FOR DEFENSE EFFORT Farmers have known for years that honey bees were useful use-ful not only as gatherers of honey but also as pollinators of alfalfa and clover seed, fruit, and fiber crops. Uncle Sam has also discovered that bees are vital to. the defense effort. Beeswax, a by-p:oduct of honey, is needed for coating war munitions and for the manufacture man-ufacture of airplanes. Although the wax is in short supply, no satisfactory substitute for it is known. Dr. G. F. Knowlton, extension exten-sion specialist at U1ah State Agricultural College, explains that bees make their comb out of beeswax. After they gorge themselves with honey, then-wax then-wax glands secrete a liquid that hardens when it comes in contact with the air. This material ma-terial is used by the bees as capping for cells of honey and for the cells where the young bees are hatched, as well as for combs which hold the honey and serve as cradles for tho young bees. Beekeepers find it profitable to save all of their precious beeswax and sell it to dealers. The price is higher now than ever before. Small amounts of beeswax can be nelted down py heating in hot water. It should not be allowed to boil. When it cools a cake of solid wax will be floating on top of the water. For information on how to handle old combs and large amounts of wax, small scale beekeepers should write to one of .the beekeeper supply houses and secure any needed information informa-tion concerning the salvaging ol beeswax. |