'SE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



133 



throiiffh the holes, and the work goes right 

 aloug in good shape. 



1 tried a few with % inch holes, with sat- 

 isfactory results. 



Notes. — Nothing is gained by giving more 

 than two beo-suaces. 



Dividers made of slats \ inch apart leave 

 the sections ridgy, reminding one of a min- 

 iature washboard, and, bt. sides that, some 

 brace-combs appear between the sections 

 and divider. 



I coined the word " divider, "or, rather 

 applied it to the new device. I hope it will 

 do. This system is applicable to all kinds 

 of hives, and the cost is a mere trifle only. 

 I have no supplies for sale, nor have I any 

 interest in that line of business. Free to all." 



It has always seemed to me that the de- 

 lay in finishing outside sections came from 

 the efforts of the bees to keep their work in 

 a globular form as much as possible, but if 

 this disposition can be overcome in the 

 manner described, well and good, it certain- 

 ly will not cost much to give it a trial. 



A Resume of the Deep-Cell Foundation 

 Qnestion. 



Dr. Miller in an article in Gleanings al- 

 most intimates that I have never tasted of 

 butter that has been melted — that I am sim- 

 ply drawing on my imagination. Often 

 on a cold winter morning the butter is set 

 near the stove to warm while the breakfast 

 is being cooked. Sometimes the butter is 

 forgotten or neglected and left until some 

 of it is melted. After this butter has cool- 

 ed I have often tasted of it: tried spreading 

 it on bread and noticing how it would taste. 

 I pity the one whose taste is such that no 

 difference can be discovered between this 

 "grease" and butter that has never been 

 melted. I pity him as much as I do the one 

 who cannot detect the " fish bone " in hon- 

 ey when foundation has been used. 



Then there is a lot of talk about the mean- 

 ing of the words "friable," "brittle," 

 " fragile, " etc. The meaning in this con- 

 nection is that naturally built comb easily 

 breaks up into small [jartieles and mixes 

 with our food when it is eaten. Comb foun- 

 dation does not do this. It is tough. It 

 sticks together and bends. It forms into a 

 •' gob. " It is said that com!) does not break 

 when filled with honey. That it is soft and 

 bends. It makes no ditlerence whether 

 comb is filled with honey <ir not. If it is 

 warm it will liend to a certnin extent. If it 

 is cold it will snap like yl iss. If broken 

 when cold, the honey, l'\ its stickiness, 



holds the particles in place, and thus gives 

 the impression of greater tenacity. 



Some of the arguments used against the 

 use of this kind of foundation have been 

 unwisely chosen. For instance, the argu- 

 ment that commercial wax is unclean. It 

 certainly is just as unclean, if it is unclean, 

 when made into the ordinary foundation. 

 My own opinion is that the heat used in 

 making foundation thorougly purifies the 

 wax. And here is another argument used by 

 Mr. T. G. Newman in the Progressive. 

 Among other things he says ; — 



"Now, comb honey is in danger, and 

 every true friend of the pursuit will array 

 himself against the use of the ' manufactur- 

 ed comb ' which is so full of danger to the 

 pursuit. Its use is not practical. It can- 

 not be profitably shipped and used. The 

 packing will almost make it prohibitive. 

 In fact, I think it is the wildest scheme of 

 folly ever advanced in connection with 

 bee-keeping, and one which is second to 

 none in its baneful influences and ultimate 

 results. 



I do not oppose its use from any other 

 motive than that of preventing the over- 

 zealous from ruining the market for comb 

 honey. It will most certainly decrease the 

 demand, and drive thousands of our best 

 bee-keepers from our ranks. 



Adulterated comb and adulterated honey 

 will go hand in hand, and destruction and 

 death for the pursuit are the legitimate re- 

 sults — the worst enemies of the pursuit are 

 among its supposed friends. " 



We seem to be able to pack and ship our 

 comb honey when it is finished, and in this 

 form it occuoies about yh'e times the space 

 that the deep-cell foundation will occupy. 

 Neither have I any sympathy with extrava- 

 gant predictions of failure and disaster. As 

 I have said repeatedly, I have no fears ex- 

 cept that the new product will be tough and 

 leathery like foundation. I can see no 

 reason why it will not. But I don't pretend 

 to know everything, and what seems to me 

 an impossibility may be a possiblity, and 

 BO long as Mr. Root says that the side-walls, 

 after being finished, compare favorably 

 with natural comb. 1 i)refer to wait until I 

 can try it myself, before giving my final 

 judgement. 



Mr. E. T. Flanagan, of Belleville, Ills, is 

 a practical bee-keeper of many year's ex- 

 perience, and he expresses his views as 

 follows in the Progressive. 



"I think I see light ahead in the new 

 'drawn comb ' nf)W sf) much talked of. 

 Having had consideralile experience with 

 'bait combs' and so called 'drawn combs,' 

 and knowing from actual results their great 

 value in securing a crop of comb honey, 



