1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



49 



to use my frames. It frequently happens 

 that I fill a few dozen frames in the lore- 

 noon and use them in the afternoon. The 

 weather is generally at its best in regard to 

 temperature about that time. The honey- 

 house in which I do this work is often as hot 

 as an oven, to use the phrase, and founda- 

 tion handled under these conditions has 

 stretched about as much before it is put in 

 the hive as it ever will or can thereafter. 



Furthermore, I manage as much as possi- 

 ble to let my weakest colonies do the draw- 

 ing-out. The excessive heat in the brood- 

 chamber of very populous ones, together 

 with the heavy load of bees, might possibly 

 cause some sagging; but I aim not to use 

 such colonies for that purpose. If I am com- 

 pelled to use foundation with strong colonies 

 I let them draw it out in the extracting- 

 super, where sagging or stretching is not so 

 likely to take place. 



But, say what we may, all our theories and 

 suggestions are of little value unless we have 

 some show of facts to sustain them. As a 

 proof that all I have said and claimed in the 

 loregoing is based on a pretty solid founda- 

 tion of facts I herewith present to the read- 

 ers a photograph of a variety of combs which 

 were drawn out from foundation last sum- 

 mer. They are not selected to favor my ar- 

 gument; but I have taken about the first 

 ones I ran across. 



The three combs on the left are more or 

 less full of honey, and capped. On account 

 of the cappings the shape of the cells is not 

 readily discernible; but the dark streaks be- 

 tween the rows of cells can be plainly seen. 

 They are as straight as a chalk-line when 

 being snapped. But there is another proof 

 that the foundation has not sagged. The 

 space between the lower edge of the foun- 

 dation and the bottom-bar of the two lower 

 combs is as nearly even, clear across the 

 frames, as it was the day the foundation was 

 put in. Wouldn't this space be a little con- 

 tracted in the middle if the foundation had 

 sagged, and had caused elongated cells next 

 to the top-bar? 



The second or middle row contains empty 

 combs used in the extracting-supers. They 

 are now cleaned out by the bees, and show 

 the shape of the cells very plainly. It takes 

 more than ordinary mechanical skill to de- 

 tect a difference between the shape of cells 

 on these combs and the original impressions 

 on the foundation on which these combs 

 were built. 



The manner of fastening the foundation 

 to the top-bar may not have any bearing on 

 the sagging question, and it may. I never 

 fancied the groove -and -wedge plan very 

 much, but did it in the old-fashioned way by 

 running melted wax on both sides along the 

 joint. After the joint is "soldered" up on 

 one side, a much better job can be done on 

 the other. Undoubtedly the wedge plan will 

 do the work a little faster; but if we have 

 the right tools, have our wax at the right 

 temperature, and have once acquired the 

 knack of doing it, frames can be filled at a 

 very fair rate. This point can not be dis- 



puted. While the running-on wax strength- 

 ens the joint, the pressing by the wedge 

 weakens it. 

 La Salle, N. Y. 



[At the time Mr. Greiner wrote, he was 

 doubtless unaware of the fact that he was 

 confirming the position taken by W. Z. 

 Hutchinson, in the Review, that medium 

 brood foundation and horizontal wires drawn 

 taut, or until they sing, solve the problem of 

 the sagging in the foundation and a conse- 

 quent buckling between the wires — solve 

 the difficulty of elongated cells near the top- 

 bar and filling the same with drone brood. 



But the question that still remains to be 

 settled is this: Whether the use of light 

 brood foundation and more horizontal wires 

 or wooden splints, a la Dr. Miller, would not 

 be cheaper and just as free from the objec- 

 tionable sagging. It is our opinion that they 

 would. Although we do not know positive- 

 ly, we are beginning to think that more 

 strands of horizontal wires drawn taut, and 

 light brood foundation, will not only be 

 cheaper, but give us combs that will be vast- 

 ly stronger than those supported by splints 

 or by three horizontal wires. It may take 

 more time to put in the extra wires; but 

 when one is at the job the actual increase is 

 only very small. 



The melted-wax plan of fastening founda- 

 tion to the top-bar as described by our cor- 

 respondent is satisfactory in the hands of 

 one who knows how to use it; but it is far 

 from being that in the hands of the average 

 person or novice. For all such the double 

 groove and wedge is preferable. Indeed, it 

 is quicker, better, and much neater for even 

 the expert. — Ed.] 



SHIPPING DEES IN POUND AND HALF- 

 POUND PACKAGES WITH- 

 OUT COMBS. 



The Possibility of Shipping Dees Without 

 Carrying Disease. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



Some twenty-five years ago there was 

 quite a business in selling bees in pound 

 packages; but owing to the difficulty of de- 

 livering them alive to destination the busi- 

 ness was given up, and from that time on 

 until very lately bees have been shipped out 

 only on combs. In late years foul and black 

 brood have become so prevalent over the 

 country that it seemed desirable to try the 

 old-fashioned plan of shipping the bees with- 

 out combs in order to avoid entirely or at least 

 minimize the danger of carrying disease. 

 Foul brood is transmitted mainly through 

 combs, honey, and brood. If these three 

 are eliminated in shipping bees and queens, 

 the chance ot transmitting disease, even from 

 an infected colony, would be very slight. 

 For the last year or so, we have been trying 

 the experiment of shipping combless and 

 broodless bees in little light wire-cloth pack- 

 ages all over the United States; and by chang- 



