COMB HONEY. 



108 



COMB HONEY. 



the sections. The expert comb - honey 

 producer will never be content with a 

 starter. He will buy his foundation of such 

 size that he can cut it to suit his own indi- 

 vidual notions. Some of our comb-lioney 

 producers cut it in nearly full sheets one- 

 fourth of an inch narrower and half an incli 

 shorter than the inside of the section. It 

 is then fastened to the top as shown under 

 the head of Comb Foundation, with any 

 one of the several styles of foundation- 

 t'lsteners there sliown. Others cut the 

 slieets in the shape of a letter V\ still 

 others use half a sheet. 



But the great majority of producers pre- 

 fer to use two pieces— a large one secured to 

 the top and a strip i or f inch wide fastened 

 to the bottom. The larger sheet is so cut as 

 to reach within i inch of the bottom starter 

 when in place to allow for stretching. 



During the subsequent process of draw- 

 ing out. the bees will make one complete 

 comb, the same being fastened to the top 

 and bottom. Where only one large sheet or 

 even a starter is put into a section, the fast- 

 ening will be at the top and part way down 

 on each side, but when the bottom starter 

 is used in connection with a large sheet of 

 foundation, there surely will be a fastening 

 at the bottom as well as at the other edges. 

 The result is a comb fastened to all four 

 sides, one that is neater in its general fill- 

 ing, and, in consequence, will command a 

 liigher price; and last, but not least, a sec- 

 tion that will stand shipping. A nice super 

 of sections with combs not fastened at the 

 bottom is liable to arrive at destination in 



wax- tube here shown the sheet is then 

 secured to all four sides by the stream of 

 liot wax. See Comb Foundation. 



VAN lJi:USEN WAX-TUbh; 



It has been found that very fine comb 

 lioney can be secured by this plan, the le- 

 sulting sections having but few popholes. 

 However, there are two disadvantages. For 



instance, some IJnd it difficult to cut the 

 foundation just the right size and still do the 

 work rapidly. It can be seen at once that 

 there must be but little variation in the size 

 of the sheets. The best arrangement for 



THE DIFFEKKNT MErilODS OF CUTTING FOUNDAilON FOK THE SECTION.S 



bad condition— many of the combs broken 

 out; and it is, therefore, always advisable to 

 use a bottom starter. 



A few bee-keepers advise cutting the 

 foundation so it will just neatly fill the sec- 

 tion on all four sides. A section is then 

 slipped over a block a little less than half 

 its thickness so that wlien one of these just 

 right-size sheets of foundation is laid on the 

 block, the fomidation will be perfectly cen- 

 tered in the section. With the VanDeusen 



cutting the foundation that we know of is 

 the miter-box shown above. This device 

 can be quickly made by almost any one, the 

 construction being plain from the illustra- 

 tions. The bt)X should be placed on a table 

 with the saw-cuts down as in Fig. 1, and 

 from five to twenty sheets of foundation laid 

 in, care being taken to see that the ends are 

 even. Then the cleated board should be i)ut 

 on top of the sheets of foundation, and the 

 box turned over so that it rests on the cleats. 



