48 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. 15 



I have, during the last ten or fifteen years, 

 used more or less foundation yearly; and 

 this last summer, being a little short of ex- 

 tracting-combs, I again had 25 lbs. trans- 

 formed into combs, and, strange as it mav 

 seem, there is practically not a sagged como 

 nor a stretched cell in the lot. 1 use, both 

 in brood - chamber and extracting -super, 

 what is called the Jumbo frame. Being lO ■ s 

 in. deep in the clear it is probably the deep- 

 est frame of the flat pattern in use. Then I 

 use full sheets of foundation 16 in. long by 

 9l4^ wide, supported by three horizontal 

 wires. This arrangement, according to Mr. 

 Green's opinion, should give foundation the 

 best chance to sag and produce the dreaded 

 elongated cells; but it does not in my case, 

 and why? I don't know that I can point out 

 the exact cause, but here is my way of using 

 foundation: 



With the exception of a little experiment- 

 ing years ago, wnen the use of full sheets of 

 foundation in the brood-chamber was in its 

 experimental stage, I have always strung my 

 wires as tight as the wire and frame will bear. 

 They fairly sing; and to produce this condi- 

 tion I use No. 28 wire. No. 30 wires would 



not hold together under my treatment. They 

 would snap off with every frame I handled. 

 The directions for slack wiring to allow for 

 the inevitable sagging, which Mr. G. cites, 

 are contrary to my many years of experi- 

 ence. 



Next I use medium brood foundation only. 

 When we were advised to use light brood 

 foundation in the main frame on the ground 

 that it is more economical than the heavier 

 kind, giving more square surface to the 

 pound, I also experimented quite a little in 

 that direction; but one season's experience 

 satisfied me. It was buckle and sag, and 

 sag and buckle all through the season, and I 

 came to the conclusion that it would be poor 

 policy to economize in one direction and 

 then lose double and triple in another by 

 being annoyed by the detrimental effects of 

 elongated cells next to the top-bars. Mr. 

 Green has plainly stated the results on this 

 point. 



Another feature that may have some bear- 

 ing on the no-sagging inclination of my foun- 

 dation is this: I never fill my frames m cold 

 or even cool weather, but wait till later in 

 the season until about the time when I want 



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Foundation, when built out into combs by Greiner's plan, results in perfectly straight combs, even though 



only three wipes are used in a Jumbo fra?Tie_ 



