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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Aug. 15 



simply this: String the wires closer together 

 near the top-bar about an inch apart. The 

 other wires, if they are needed, can be plac- 

 ed increasingly further apart as we approach 

 the bottom-bar. The sag, or the major i or- 

 tion of it, with the old kind of horizontal 

 wiring, occurred near the top-bar. It is this 

 part of the foundation that should be rein- 

 forced more than it has been in the past. 

 The bottom wire, if used at all, is only nec- 

 essary to hold the foundation centrally in 

 the frames; and then, besides, it serves the 

 further purpose that, when the comb is turn- 

 ed over for examination, it will not fall out. 



But quite another surprise awaited us. 

 We found that, during the drawing of the 

 foundation into comb, there will not be much 

 sag; but the sag is quite apt to take place a 

 year or two afterward. During hot weather, 

 especially if it is very warm and the combs 

 are filled heavy with honey, they will have 

 a tendency to sag. This elongation of the 

 cells takes place so gradually tliat the ordi- 

 nary apiarist does not observe it; but if he 

 will take a horizontally wired frame contain- 

 ing light brood foundation, and put it in a 

 hive, he will find that the foundation will 

 be drawn out with almost no appreciable 

 sag. He is apt to draw the conclusion that 

 horizontal wiring is good enough for him. 

 But let him look at that comb two years 

 afterward and he will probably find a very 

 appreciable sag. 



When we found that all vertically wired 

 foundation was wavy w^e wrote to Dr. Miller 

 and asked him if he found any waviness 

 with his "splinted " foundation. He repli- 

 ed that he saw none; but if we remember 

 correctly we saw some splinted combs that 

 were wavy. Perhaps there was an illustra- 

 tion of it in these columns. We should be 

 glad to get reports from those who have been 

 "splinting" their foundation. 



Later. — At the beginning of this article 

 we stated that we were unable to account 

 for the waviness in the vertically wired 

 comb. A careful examination of the en- 

 graving on the right will show an interest- 

 ing fact. Just notice that in addition to 

 the vertical wires there are two horizontal 

 wires, one about a third of the way down, 

 and the other about \yi inches from the bot- 

 tom-bar. Right along the line of those 

 two wires you will see that there is no wavi- 

 ness; that is to say, the comb is as straight 

 as a board directly over each wire. The 

 same is true over the vertical wires. Now, 

 the spaces between the vertical and horizon- 

 tal wires are bulged. This suggests the fact 

 that foundation in the process of drawing 

 out expands both vertically and laterally. 

 In the horizontally wired frame shown in 

 the illustration on the left, where there are 

 no vertical wires, there is an opportunity 

 for downward expansion; and the four wires 

 are, apparently, sufficient to prevent lateral 

 expansion, and hence we have a perfect- 

 looking flat comb except that we note a 

 slight sagging. In this connection it is 

 proper to observe that this horizontally wir- 

 ed comb was taken from the hive just as it 



was drawn out, or, rather, shortly after. Ex- 

 perience shows that this comb will show 

 more sag two years hence than now. 



The conclusion of the whole matter is 

 that, if foundation is wired both vertically 

 and horizontally, we shall have a perfect 

 comb without sag and without waviness. 

 But this introduces the factor of extra ex- 

 pense; and it would, therefore, be cheaper to 

 use horizontal wires and a heavier grade of 

 foundation than to use the light brood with 

 vertical and horizontal wiring. But from 

 present indications it would appear that 

 placing the wires near the top-bar and closer 

 to each other, will still permit the use of 

 light brood foundation. 



We shall have some illustrations later on 

 that will tell the story; and it will be a true 

 story, for the photo does not lie. 



BEES CARRYING EGGS TO REAR BROOD. 



Is This Unusual? 



BY W. T. BRAND. 



During our recent drouth in the honey- 

 flow I found it necessary to feed some of my 

 bees. As I did not want to buy sugar and 

 put it into the brood I decided to cage my 

 queens until the flow started again. I caged 

 them about .July 5. July 15 I went through 

 them to cut out the "forced " cells which I 

 expected to find. I was very much surpris- 

 ed to find eggs and young brood as well as 

 queen-cells. At first I was puzzled to know 

 what was taking place. If there was anoth- 

 er queen, why were those queen-cells there? 

 I looked for another queen, but in vain. I 

 shook them through a queen-excluder, but 

 still no second queen. The old queen was 

 still in the cage. I gave it up as a bad job, 

 and left it and resumed my work. Before 

 long I came to another case of the kind. 

 This time I determined to solve the mystery. 

 I soon found out what was wrong or hap- 

 jiening. The queen was laying eggs on the 

 wire netting of the cage and in the bottom 

 of the cage, and the bees were reaching 

 through the wire and getting the eggs, plac- 

 ing them in the cells, and taking care of 

 them. I found about 15 out of 175 at the 

 same trick. Is this unusual? I have had 

 ten years' active experience among the bees, 

 and this is the first time I have found any 

 thing of the same nature. 



LaSalle, Col. 



[While we knew that bees would carry 

 eggs from one part of the brood-nest to the 

 other, we do not remember to have seen any 

 rejiorted instances like this where bees ac- 

 tually took eggs from the wire cloth of a 

 caged queen and deposited them in cells 

 and raised brood. Our correspondent seems 

 to know what he is talking about, and we 

 do not believe he is mistaken when he says 

 that the bees actually moved the eggs. 

 This is really an interesting fact in bee-lore, 

 and if any one else has had any exjierience 

 like it we should be glad to hear from him. 

 —Ed.] 



