On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 15:31:06 -0600, Bob Harrison first discusses: "...Using the common scale of five cells to the inch published in The Hive and The Honey Bee and Abc & XYZ of the period we quickly see "five cells to the inch" would produce 25 worker cells to the square inch and not "23 cells to the square inch". And then asks: Was the first change to larger cell size done with the advent of crimp wire foundation?" Bob, I give the following for your perusal: The 30Th Edition of ABCandXYZ of Bee Culture(Root,1953)gives considerable discussion to cell size, given here extremely condensed, copied and paraphrased from the subject heading "CELLS, SIZE OF IN HONEYCOMB": 1876 A.I. Root's first roll comb foundation worker cell 5 to the inch. A. I. discovered that this was too small after observations and measurements and H. H. Root used his father's measurements, 1`9 and 1/3 cells to 4 linear inches (4.83 cells to the inch), in development of a new foundation mill, no date given; however the 30TH Edition mentions that this measurement was the standard for the last 70 years hence circa 1883. Also mentioned was the metric values of 825 to 850 to the square decimeter and a reference to the 1937 Bee World page 43,"Schwammerdam puts the size of natural worker comb as 870 per square decimeter; Maraldi, 789 and 954; Reaumur, 832; Klugel, 832; Castellon, 763, 828." Ursmar Baudoux in 1893 conceived the idea that cells larger than 850 would or could develop correspondingly larger bees with a longer tongue reach. He began testing foundation by stretching from 750, 740, 730, to as low as 700 cells to the square decimeter. By 1896 he apparently proved his theory so that a comb manufacturer (not named) built a mill with enlarged cell bases. Baudoux apparently also developed the first "Super Bee", larger and with a longer tongue reach. He gave an elaborate set of figures of cell sizes with corresponding sizes of the workersalong with wing and tongue sizes in the 1934 Bee World; the table was also given in the 30TH Edition. The same subject, "CELLS, SIZE OF IN HONEYCOMB", also mentioned work under the direction of Dr. O. W. Park of Iowa State College by a Research Assistant, Roy A. Grout, in 1930 which was published in Research Bulletin No. 218 of Iowa Agricultural Experimental Station. A sumary of the summary given follows: "We cannot agree with Baudoux either in the magnitude of the results he obtained or the consistency of them"; that size of the brood cell alone is not sufficient to produce a much larger worker bee; and while the worker bees apparently recognized no difference in constructing the three sides of cell, the queen bees showed a preference for the normal-sized cells. Additional language is given to discussion of further works of A. I. Root, H. H. Root and M. T. Pritchard. The subject was given conclusion by the following paragraph: " All of this goes to prove the previous contention that a change in the size of the cell, either worker or drone, results either in the queen avoiding these cells if she can get standard cells, or worse yet depositing drone eggs in such cells, resulting in an unnecessary amount of drone brood." Chuck Norton Norton's Nut & Honey Farm Reidsville, NC PS. Have you ordered drone brood as a small part of integrated pest management and/or flooding your mating yards with selected drones? :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::