118 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



The showing made by the New Process foundation is very favorable 

 indeed, a very gratifying fact, since the increased facility in manufactur- 

 ing gained by the new method will have a strong tendency to decrease 

 the price of the product. 



It is another matter for congratulation that the samples of foundation 

 used in the present experiment approach uniformity very much more 

 nearly than ever before. 



TESTS OF COMB FOUNDATION. 1897. 



During the honey season of 1897, I tested several specimens of founda- 

 tion from different sources. These consisted of two from the A. I. Root 

 Co., of Medina. Ohio, thin and extra thin; two from a maker in Lansing, 

 Iowa or Minnesota, whose name and exact address has been mislaid, thin 

 and extra thin; one from T. F. Bingham, Farwell, Mich., and one known 

 as drawn foundation, having very deep cells, from the A. I. Root Co. For 

 comparison each of these was used in connection with foundation made 

 on a Given Press, as in former experiments. 



The weight of the several kinds was as follows: 



The A. I. Root Co.'s extra thin 12.1 ft. to the pound. 



The A. I. Root Co.'s thin 10.3 ft. to the pound. 



The A. I. Root Co.'s drawn foundation 6.25 ft. to the pound. 



Bingham's 11.3 ft. to the pound. 



Lansing extra thin 14.8 ft. to the pound. 



Lansing thin 11.7 ft. to the pound. 



Given 1).4 ft. to the pound. 



The drawn foundation is a very good imitation of new comb, just as 

 it begins to be occupied by brood or honey, except that it is of a de- 

 cidedly yellower color and the top of the cell walls is sharp as in the 

 case of natural comb when the surface has been shaved off as in uncap- 

 ping. The several kinds of foundations were all well made, but owing 

 to the wax from which they were made some were very yellow — an unde- 

 sirable characteristic it seems to me in foundation to be used in sections 

 for comb honey. 



In making comparative tests of foundations it appears to me there 

 are three questions of paramount importance, viz.: Which do the bees 

 work the most readily? Into which will the bees put the most honey 

 in the same time under like circumstances? And which will thev draw 



