234 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Apr. 1 



draw fairly tight (if too tight it is liable to cut the 

 wires); then fasten. It does not bother when putting 

 in the foundation. 



Bellvue, Colorado. Chas. E. Pennock. 



LSome years ago we tried various schemes of cross- 

 wiring. We finally settled on what was known as the 

 Keeney, which is a good deal the same as that shown 

 and described by H. M.Jameson on the previous page. 

 The difficulty with all intersecting wiring is the ten- 

 dency of the foundation to bulge or buckle in the tri- . 

 angles formed between the wires. At the precise 

 point where the wires intersect, there will be no sag- 

 ging; but as the foundation is drawn out, the portion 

 above the intersection has a tendency to bulge, and 

 the result is a slighily uneven comb surface. 



The best scheme of wiring is a series of vertical 

 wires without intersections; but with ordinarily thick 

 top-bars this does not seem to be feasible, especially 

 with those who use the wedge-and-groove plan. We 

 finally adopted the four horizontal wires — the wires 

 being threaded through the end-bars. This form of 

 wiring only partially overcomes the sagging of the 

 foundation while it is being drawn out into comb. 

 The portion one inch down from the top-bar (if light- 

 brood foundation is used) is liable to have elongated 

 cells. These will be filled with honey, while the por- 

 tion below will be filled with brood that will have 

 normal-sized cells. 



Dr. C. C. Miller, to overcome this, put in vertical 

 splints. Under some conditions, and with some bee- 

 keepers, the plan leaves nothing to be desired. Under 

 other conditions it does not quite fill the bill. 



We have had in mind for some time back a scheme 

 for incorporating wires in foundation after it is run 

 through the rolls, the wires being inserted on a ver- 

 tical line. This plan will still necessitate wiring the 

 frames as now, as no scheme of putting wire in the 

 foundation at the factory will answer unless those 

 same wires can be secured to the top and bottom bars 

 of the frames; and no Yankee or other genius thus 

 far knows how to do this without making the cost too 

 great. When running extracting-yards it is very im- 

 portant to have the wires secured permanently to the 

 frame. A scheme of wiring that merely prevents 

 stretching or sagging of the foundaiion is a long way 

 from being satisfactory. Years ago we tried running 

 wires in along with the sheet of wax as it went through 

 the foundation-mill. Mr. E. B. Weed worked on this 

 problem for some time, but gave it up in disgust. 

 While it may work with flat-bottom foundation, no 

 feasible plan has yet been presented to make it work 

 on natural-base foundation. But if there is any de- 

 mand for vertical wires in ordinary brood foundation 

 the article can be supplied. In this case the wires 

 would be incorporated by means of electricity after 

 the foundation has been run through the rolls.— Ed.] 



I ran short of foundation when I needed it most, so I 

 economized by putting a vertical strip one inch wide 

 in the middle of each frame, and also used the one- 



inch starter at the top. My frames were already 

 wired, so I imbedded the wire where the vertical strip 

 of foundation crossed it as shown in the diagram. 



The bees built straight firm comb in the frames so 

 treated, and I was unable to tell those frames from 

 those in which I had used full sheets at extracting 

 time. 



Of course, I do not claim there would be any thing 

 saved by this plan in the long run, for no doubt I 

 might have had more honey by using full sheets. 



Colegrove, Pa. R. A. Willson. 



(This plan is perfectly feasible under some condi- 

 tions and some seasons of the year; but in many cases 

 one would get a large amount of drone comb.— Ed.] 



BRIEF REPORT OF THE MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION. 



After the secretary made his report a discussion was 

 opened on membership fees, whether it was policy to 



remain in affliliation with the National, etc. It was 

 pointed out that the extra 50 cts. which was paid to the 

 National could be used to good advantage in pushing 

 the work of increasing the membership of the Michi- 

 gan Association, and also in better advertising the 

 booklet which has been a direct means of selling the 

 members' honey. On the other hand, it was advanced 

 that we should stay by the National in order to get the 

 benefit of its protection in legal matters, and also on 

 general principles. It was finally decided to remain 

 as before; but an extra assessment of 50 cts. per mem- 

 ber was levied for the Michigan, which virtually 

 placed the membership in the Michigan at $1.00 a year 

 with an extra 50 cts. to go to the National. This gives 

 the members membership in both. Another impor- 

 tant action was in having the membership in the 

 Michigan expire Jan. 1 each year. 



The question of wiring frames to prevent sagging 

 came up as a result of a paper prepared by General 

 Manager N. E. France, of the National. Some lively 

 discussion followed. The result was that the Associa- 

 tion agreed that, no matter how one wires, there will 

 be sagging as long as the foundation is made as now, 

 with the cells running parallel with the top-bar. The 

 following resolution was passed: "Be it resolved by 

 the Michigan bee-keepers in convention assembled, 

 that the manufacturers of comb foundation be asked 

 to consider the question of making brood foundation 

 so it will hang just opposite the way it is now made, 

 the object being to prevent sagging." 



The marketing of honey by cooperative methods 

 came up for some lively and interesting discussions. 

 During the pist six years the association has been 

 publishing a booklet giving the names of its members, 

 and statistics regarding the amount of honey pro- 

 duced, and this has been a great help in finding mar- 

 kets. This year it was advertised in three bee-jour- 

 nals, and as a result it was sent all over the United 

 States. One bee-keeper who produces at least 10,000 

 lbs. of honey annually, stated that he could sell ten 

 times as much as he can produce, and gives the credit 

 to the booklet. This year there will be 1500 published, 

 and they will be even more widely distributed than 

 before. This will probably be the extent of the co- 

 operative efforts in selling this year, excepting infor- 

 mation which will be given the members by the exec- 

 utive board regarding supply and condition of mar- 

 kets. Another year, however, may see an advance 

 along this line. 



The program as formerly published in the bee- 

 journals was carried out, the papers of those not pres- 

 ent being read by the secretary. Visitors from outside 

 the State were Geo. W. York, of the American Bee Jour- 

 nal, and L. W. Boyden, of The A. I. Root Co. Mr. York 

 read a paper entitled " Honey, its Marketing and Sta- 

 ple Use." Mr. Boyden contributed some valuable sug- 

 gestions on the advertising of honey, among them be- 

 ing demonstrations at pure-food shows. 



The former oftlicers were reelected, remaining as 

 follows: President, L. A. Aspinwall, Jackson; Vice- 

 President, E. D. Townsend, Remus; Secretary-Trea- 

 surer, E. B. Tyrrell, 230 Woodland Ave., Detroit. 



The next convention will be held in Grand Rapids. 



Prizes were awarded as follows on the exhibits 

 made: Best 10 lbs. of comb honey, first, C. S. Foote, of 

 Ridgeway; second, L. C. Wheeler, Barryton. Best 10 

 lbs. of extracted, first, A. D. D. VVood, Lansing ; sec- 

 ond, L. C. Wheeler : 3 lbs. of extracted containing 

 least water, first, L. C. Wheeler; second, A. D. D. 

 Wood. Best 10 lbs. beeswax, first, A. D. D. Wood; sec- 

 ond. J. H. Peters, Detroit; third, L. C. Wheeler. 



Hon. Geo. E. Hilton will represent the association at 

 the State Legislature in reference to any foul-brood 

 legislation, and the executive board will appoint a 

 representative to meet with the National at its next 

 meeting. 



Detroit, Mich. E. B. TYRRELL. Sec. 



HOW TO REQUEEN IN EARLY SPRING. 



What would you advise a beginner to do when he 

 finds one of his colonies queenless in early spring? 



Omega, Okla., March 14. N. D. DICKEY. 



[In almost every case you will find that there will be 

 one or more other weak colonies in the yard having a 

 queen. If any colony, strong or weak, is queenless, 

 unite it with one of these colonies having a queen. If 

 it is a little early in the spring we would advise put- 

 ting two colonies together, placing them in the cellar 

 and keeping them there for about a week, and then 

 set them out permanently on their summer stand. 

 But we would place such colony on the stand occupied 

 by the stronger of the two, because some bees will re- 

 turn to their old stand. These can be collected in an 

 empty hive having a dry comb, and placed where they 

 belong.— Ed.] 



