780 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



will find it can be done; and, moreover, an im- 

 mensely increased yield will be secured there- 

 by." 



There are many other pointed references to 

 the same prominent and integral feature in my 

 system, which I need not bring in here; but for 

 the latest developments in this line you will 

 find important information in "Modern Bee- 

 farm" (1893 edition), pages 95*114 to 118,136, 

 138, 205. 



You will notice (p. 118) no attempt is to be 

 made to build out full-depth cells; but that, as 

 soon as they are well on the way, the combs are 

 for all practical purposes ready for business; 

 and that state of progress is attained in the 

 course of a few hours only, when favorable con- 

 ditions are ensured by the apiarist.' 



On page 117 of the above work you will find, 

 "Bee-keepers generally have saved over unfin- 

 ished combs in sections from year to year, and 

 these were found to give a good start to the 

 bees; but inothing was done to institute the 

 systematic production of such new white combs 

 for all sections before being placed on the hive, 

 until the present system (Simmins' non-swarm- 

 ing plan) was inaugurated." 



However, "combs left over" are not to be 

 compared with the new combs, which are so 

 readily obtained and more rapiuly worked. 

 This point will be freely admitted when it is 

 remembered the fresh-drawn article has the 

 strong scent of the living hive still clinging to 

 it. 



BEEP -CELL, SUPER FOUNDATION. 



My experience has taught me that, for comb 

 honey, no cells whatever are required in the 

 purchased foundation, but simply the thinnest 

 possible mid-ribs impressed as usual, and in 

 that case the natural base of course, being 

 used. I do not see how a high side-wall (thin 

 enough) is to be gained. Even if ultimately 

 secured, it will not be found so favorable as 

 other foundation which has already and quite 

 recently been worked upon by other bees. 

 What, then, are to be the advantages of high 

 walls? Such will be too bulky in shipping, 

 more liable to damage, while cost and freight 

 will be prohibitive as compared with the light- 

 er article. Moreover, I do not think the bee- 

 keeper will care to pay for the surplus wax, 

 especially as deep cells encourage pollen de- 

 posits where the most careful management is 

 not carried out. 



PREPABING foundation; DRAWN COMBS flELF- 

 FIXED INTO SECTIONS. 



If you Will cut three sections into full-length 

 halves, and also divide a section frame or hold- 

 er, then arrange the whole set so that they go 

 together again as one, and next place a sheet 

 of foundation measuring some 4 in. deep by 13 

 in. long (4x13) between the halves, you have a 

 correct representation of Fig. 23 on p. 95 of my 



*For convenience of our readers I have repro- 

 duced the engraving- appearing on page 779. — Ed. 



"Modern Bee-farm." Can you imagine any 

 thing neater, or a more expeditious and secure 

 way of furnishing the sections? The halves 

 can be put together by simple hand pressure, 

 and inserted in the twin frames or holders, as 

 the latter lie flat on a table before the operator, 

 more rapidly than the entire section can possi- 

 bly be folded by any known process. 



Having followed me so far you will now un- 

 derstand my method of securing drawn combs 

 ready for the crop of section honey. The whole 

 sheet of foundation is attached (by pressure at 

 intervals along the top-bar), to that half-frame, 

 to which, on its other side, is secured the sep- 

 arator, with three half-sections between (sep- 

 arator and foundation). 



These half-sets are then spaced about % in. 

 apart in a super case, and drawn out by spe- 

 cially prepared stocks, being exchanged for 

 others as rapidly as the work can he- made to 

 progress. The companion halves (of each set 

 of sections and holder) are then pressed on to 

 the other side of the newly worked combs, and 

 arranged in cases for completion as soon as the 

 good times come. 



The halves of the holders are more easily re- 

 moved from the sections than are the whole 

 sections from an entire (old-style) frame when 

 the combs are completed; while the founda- 

 tion connecting the sections may then be di- 

 vided by fine wire, or the three handled as one. 



An; alternative plan is that where my twin 

 crates are used. In this style no separators are 

 required, and' thej foundation may be first 

 " drawn " as before in half-frames. The three 

 half-sections and adhering new comb were then 

 removed from the frames and placed in the 

 twin crates, together with the blank half-sec- 

 tions in due order. "jThe same crates, holding 

 only.'nine sections each, may also be used in 

 lieu of section frames. They can be placed for 

 the purpose of drawing comb immediately 

 above the center of the brood-nest, when, with 

 a suitable colony to work with, mar^ combs 

 can be prepared; and there is less trouble in 

 shifting, as the contents of the crate are ar- 

 ranged as they are to remain; consequently my 

 sections cut on only three sides are adapted^to 

 this class of crate— a full-width sheet of foun- 

 dation being dropped into the three sections at 

 one operation, where it is immediately self- 

 fixed. 



Heathfield, Sussex, Eng., Sept. 17. 



The foregoing article I referred to Mr. Weed 

 the inventor of the ,'New Process foundation 

 and an expert in the wax business. After read- 

 ing the article and Mr. Simmins' books, Mr. 

 Weed expressed his doubts that waxjcould be 

 produced at a profit by feeding, and gave 'h s 

 reasons why. I told him I wished he' would 

 put his thoughts on the; matter to paper, and 

 the following is the;result:l 



For the benefit of those not familiar with Mr. 

 Simmins' book it will be well to say that his 

 whole " system " is based on the theory that 



