418 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1. 



coming detached in a super would spoil the 

 whole super of honey for fancy goods. As that 

 was the only grade of honey I was ever satisfied 

 with, I was greatly annoyed at any cause of 

 failure. So I experimented for years to perfect 

 a pressure machine that would fasten the start- 

 ers (I had not used full sheets as yet), so they 

 would never get loose, but I did not succeed; so 

 when the heated-plate machines were men- 

 tioned I at once constructed one that worked 

 like a charm. The question of putting either 

 starters or full sheets in sections seemed for 

 ever settled; but in this I was disappointed, es- 

 pecially in using full sheets of extra-thin found- 

 ation. I tried several of the highly recommend- 

 ed machines; but with all my care, the sheets 

 of foundation would frequently come loose and 

 spoil a super of fine honey. During the last five 

 years of poor honey crops the evil has been 

 greatly increased ; for in each of those years we 

 had many unused supers of prepared sections 

 left over to be used another year ; and the 

 foundation fastened by the heated- plate ma- 

 chines was always in such condition, when we 

 wanted to use them again, that the sections had 

 to be taken from the supers and returned again. 

 This caused more waste of time and material 

 than I could afford ; and three years ago I re- 

 turned to the melted-wax plan, and I have no 

 doubt this is a final settlement of the question 

 of fastening foundation in sections. With me 

 I can easily put two pieces in 2000 sections in 10 

 hours, and every piece will stick for years; and 

 if a honey crop fails, the prepared supers of sec- 

 tions can be piled in a dry room and covered 

 carefully from the light, and the sections will 

 look new, and the foundation will be accepted 

 by the bees as readily as new ; at least, that is 

 ray experience. 



The question is continually asked, "Does it 

 pay to put two pieces of foundation in each 

 section ? " Yes, sir, it does. I would not use 

 sections with only one piece, even if they were 

 furnished free ; for I want and will have my 

 section honey built solid to the sections on all 

 four sides, ?ind can have them so by using sec- 

 tions eight to the foot, and a " Handy " slotted 

 and cleated separator between each two sec- 

 tions, with two pieces of foundation fastened 

 firmly, exactly in the center of each. The rea- 

 son I want this is because such sections of white 

 honey will look "just splendid," and I can ship 

 them a thousand miles without a broken comb, 

 if properly cr?ted. I put a half-inch piece of 

 rather heavy foundation in the bottom, and the 

 top piece wide enough to come within }{ inch 

 of this, and all to be X inch from the side of the 

 sections. I know the order is generally given to 

 fill the sections chuck full of foundation; but I 

 tell you, after much experience, that founda- 

 tion should not touch the sides of either brood- 

 frames or sections until the bees have drawn it 

 partially out; for if the foundation touches the 



wood, the bees will immediately stick it fast, 

 whether it is in the right or wrong place. 



I send you herewith the simple tool I use to 

 handle the melted wax. I have one of the 

 Handy comb-levelers standing near by with the 

 leveler removed, and a pan of melted beeswax 

 put in its place, and the little battle-ax paddle 

 in it. In one hand a block is held, on which a 

 section is dropped; a piece of foundation is laid 

 upon it, and is exactly in the middle of the sec- 

 tion, and touching the wood. The hot paddle, 

 with a little wax draining from it. is drawn 

 quickly between the wood and foundation. A 

 slight downward pressure of the fingers is ex- 

 erted on the foundation, and is stuck neatly ex- 

 actly in the right place, where it stays through 

 thick and thin, until needed for final use. But 

 I must caution you that the bottom piece of 

 foundation should not be more than }.< in. wide, 

 and must be fastened firmly, or it will lop over 

 when warm, and make bad work. 



My brood-frames have a slot in the center of ■ 

 the bottom of the top-bar, J^^ inch deep, made 

 with a saw Jg thick, so the foundation will go 

 in easily. I have a block that holds the found- 

 ation in the center. Slip the edge of the found- 

 ation in the slot; lift the paddle from the hot 

 wax; drain the contents quickly along the saw- 

 groove, and it is sealed fast in exactly the right 

 place to stay, and will pull in two before it will 

 come loose. This is a cheap and rapid way of 

 fastening foundation in brood-frames, and I 

 can not but wonder that it is not in universal 

 use among bee-keepers. 



Forestville, Minn. 



[I have tried your " battle-ax;" and, while I 

 could make it work, it doesn't begin to put in 

 starters as rapidly and as well as the Daisy fas- 

 tener or any other device I ever tried that em- 

 ploys the heated plate. It is an easy matter to 

 put in 500 starters per hour with the Daisy; and 

 if the lamp is turned up so that the plate is hot 

 — real hot— a starter will never drop out. Your 

 unfavorable experience with the heated-plate 

 machines was possibly due to your plate not be- 

 ing hot enough. — Ed.J 



B. TAYLOR'S HANDY BEE-HIVE. 



SPACERS ON THE FRAMES OR IN THE HIVE- 

 RABBETS; THICK top-bars; slack OB 



TAUT wires; horizontal WIRING. 



By Dr. C. C. Miller. 



I don't know, friend Taylor, that you have 

 said so in just so many words, but I feel pretty 

 sure that you think I would do well to change 

 from the hives I am using, to the Handy hive, 

 that you prefer to all others. I don't think 



