254 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1-2 EDWARD V!!., A. 1902 

 Experiments with Foundations of different sizes in Sections. 



Experiments have been continued with comb foundations of different sizes in sec- 

 tions. There were in each hive four sections for each size of foundation. 



(1.) Full sheets fastened at the top and fitting closely to the sides and down close 

 to the bottom. 



(2.) Half sheets fastened at the top of the section. 



(3.) Quarter sheets. 



(4.) Two inches square, fastened in top centre of section. 



(5.) One inch square, fastened in top centre of section. 



(6.) No foundation at all. 



No. 1. — Full sheets of foundation gave the best results ; the bees began to work 

 on them first and filled them out better. When the sections were shipped, they did not 

 break so easily, and consequently they brought the highest prices. 



Nos. 2 and 3. — Very few of the sections which had only one-half or one-quarter 

 sheets of foundation were well filled ; in no instance were they filled as well as those 

 with full sheets. 



Nos. 4 and 5. — The bees did not begin to work in these sections until they had the 

 full sheets nearly all drawn and filled. Several sections were only half finished. 



No. 6. — The bees did not start to work in any section where there was no starter. 

 From this and many other experiments the advisability of always using full sheets 

 of foundation is apparent. This should be of soft thin wax so that it will not be no- 

 ticeable when the comb-honey is eaten. 



Experiments with Brood Foundations of Different Sizes. 



(1.) Full sheets. (2.) Half sheets. (3.) Two-inch strips of foundation across the 

 tops of the frames. 



(1.) Full sheets in every instance appear to be the best ; the bees go to work on 

 them at once and they build all worker comb on the foundation ; a few drone cells 

 are sometimes built where the comb does not touch the bottom or sides of the frame ; 

 this alone is quite an advantage. Moreover, the sheets are securely wired, making them 

 fit for either brood or extracting frames ; they will also stand a heavy swarm, or ship- 

 ping without breaking down. (2.) Half sheets. — The bees built worker comb as far as 

 the foundation went, then the balance drone comb. (3.) Strips of Foundation. — In 

 this instance the bees started to work, not in the frames, but in the sections in the 

 super, which had full sheets of foundation, sooner than in No. 1 and 2. Queen exclud- 

 ers had to be put on to prevent the queen going up into the super. The combs in the 

 brood chamber were very unevenly built so that the frames could not be lifted out with- 

 out the combs being broken, and some of these combs were more than half drone cells. 

 They could not be used for extracting frames, as, not being wired, they were too weak. 

 From the results of this experiment and the previous one, it is therefore plainly better 

 in all cases to use full sheets of foundation both in the sections of the supers and in 

 the frames of the brood chambers. 



Experiments to test whether Bees injure Sound Fruit. 



For many years the question as to whether sound fruit was injured by honey bees 

 has been under discussion, but last year special attention was drawn to this question 

 by a law-suit between a fruit-grower and a bee-keeper, the former claiming that his 

 fruit had been seriously injured by the bees of his neighbour, while the bee-keeper 

 brought evidence to show that not only was this not the case, but that it was impos- 

 sible. This question was of so much interest to bee-keepers that the following ex- 

 periments were undertaken to determine whether bees, even when deprived of food, 

 would attack fruit placed within their reach. The results here given indicate that 

 ruch is not the case, which merely confirms the conclusions arrived at many years ago. 



