1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



ri9 



it is well for us to make an extra effort to be on 

 hand, not only because we are sure to have a 

 good time, as we always do at those pleasant 

 reunions, but because it is a duty we owe to our 

 younger ones and to our nation. Those who 

 live near by, say in adjoining States, will cer- 

 tainly—at least I hope so— make a great effort 

 to be on hand. Please remember, dear brother 

 and sister bee-keepers, that it is only once in a 

 number of years that this national convention 

 swings around in your locality— perhaps only 

 once in a lifetime. You take and read the 

 journals, and that is well; but it is worth ever 

 so much more to meet face to face with those 

 whom you have known only through print. 

 You will enjoy their writings ever so much 

 more afterward. Why, when I read Dr. Mil- 

 ler's Straws it seems every time as if I could 

 see his face and hear the tones of his voice; 

 and the same with Dr. Mason and ever so many 

 others. Besides, by friendly meeting and 

 friendly talk we cheer and encourage each 

 other. We get over prejudice and warped 

 judgment; and if you will permit me to drift a 

 little into the theme of my talk in this present 

 issue, let me say that we unitedly crowd out 

 Satan and invite the refreshing influences of 

 God's Holy Spirit. Now, please be on hand if 

 you can possibly manage it. Remember, your 

 old friend A. I. Root wants to see you, even if 

 nobody else does; and there will be a good 

 crowd of good people. If we don't find them at 

 Lincoln it will be the first disappointment of 

 the kind I have ever found at a national con- 

 vention. 



THE NEW WEED-PEOCESS FOUNDATION AT THE 

 MICHIGAN EXPERIMENT STATION, j. 



In the Bee-keepers^ Review for September, 

 experimenter Taylor gives the results of a third 

 series of experiments regarding the various 

 makes of foundation placed in comparison with 

 the Given, which has heretofore shown superi- 

 ority. In the last series of experiments the 

 new-process Weed foundation was placed in 

 the test, in regard to which Mr.^Taylor says:'n 



^The showing- made by the new-process foundation 

 is very favorable indeed— a very gratifying- fact, 

 since the increased facility in manufacturing- gain- 

 ed by tlie new method will have a strong- tendency 

 to decrease the price of the product. 



But it seems it does not quite equal the Given 

 wax— that is, that made on the Given press, for 

 he says: 



In each case the Given foundation, as generally 

 heretofore, shows a superiority, but in a greatly 

 reduced degree. 



It appears, then, that the new-process wax 

 has brought down the degree of the superiority 

 of the Given very greatly — so much so that 

 they are practically equal. Now, then, if Mr. 

 Taylor could have had wax sheeted by the new 

 process, and put through the Given press, I feel 

 morally certain that wax sheeted by the old 

 dipping process, and run through the press. 



would have been greatly inferior. In other 

 words. Weed sheeted Given would have shown 

 decided superiority over dipped, Given. 



The test that Mr. Taylor has made, as it is, 

 is very gratifying, showing the marked superi- 

 ority of the new-process wax. 



The former experiments have shown that, on 

 all dipped wax, the press gives a foundation 

 that is more readily worked by the bees; but 

 the operation of the press is so slow in compari- 

 son with the rolls that it would be out of the 

 question with a large manufacturer. 



Assuming, then, that the Given-press founda- 

 tion, other things being equal, is more workable 

 than the roller foundation, why is it that man- 

 ufacturers do not adopt it? Simply for the 

 reason already given, that the press is too slow. 

 By our now process, the sheets come out of the 

 foundation-machine, are cut and trimmed au- 

 tomatically, picKcd up, papered, and piled as 

 square and true as it can be done by hand, and 

 at a pace that would astonish you if you could 

 see how fast it is done. Aftpr all, I am of the 

 opinion that we could secure all the advantage 

 of the press, providing we adopt th'- Given side- 

 walls, and sheeted the w&x just thick enough to 

 fill out those ivnlls, and no more; but these 

 heavy side-walls, I have been told, make a per- 

 ceptible fishbone in comb honey, and that 

 would not be desirable; and hence the present 

 light walls of the rolls would be much more 

 preferable to the eater of comb honey, if not to 

 the bees that make it. 



Mr. Taylor makes a mistake in thinking that 

 the new wax is sheeted by passing " between 

 cylinders." While I am not at liberty to give 

 the method to the public, I would state that 

 the Weed sheeting-machine does not use a pair 

 of cylinders to roll down the wax. 



I trust that Mr. Taylor will be in position 

 another season to repeat these experiments, 

 and we should be very glad to furnish him with 

 Weed sheeted wax to try in the press. 



NEW-PROCESS FOUNDATION IN ENGLAND, 

 AGAIN. 



I have already given Mr. Thos. W. Cowan's 

 opinion, to the effect that the new-process 

 foundation is all we claim it to be, and here is 

 an unsolicited testimonial from another British 

 bee-keeper that speaks volumes for it: 



Your Weed foundation, despite a strong prejudice 

 in several quarters against it on its introduction, 

 has literally taken the foundation market by storm. 

 It has three great advantages over our home-made 

 product: The bees take to it faster; there is more 

 surface to the pound, with less liability to twist, 

 and it is literally cheaper in most cases than Eng-- 

 lish foundation. Its enemies have given it this last 

 pull. There is also another point about it to be 

 noted. It is of uniform quality, and the consumer 

 knows that he is getting genuine beeswax with it. 

 Even now I am selling quite a quantity of it at a 

 steady rate, for " driven " bees. My own mill— I 

 almost wish I had never invested in one— has lain 

 idle for weeks. I shall soon have enough raw wax 

 accumulated to make it worth while shipping it over 

 to you to be made into Weed foundation I 



F. Sladen. 



Ripple Court, near Dover, England, Sept. 5. 



