810 



THE B,E-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



other sorts. The table following in addition 

 to the distinguishing designation shows 

 in each case the number of pieces three and 

 three-fourths inches square to the pound, the 

 number of feet to the pound, and the weight 

 of eighteen sections. It is hardly necessary 

 to say that the record of each parcel of Given 

 foundation is placed next in position to the 

 record of that sort with which it was com- 

 pared thus that treated in the second line of 

 the table was compared with that in the 

 first line, that in the fourth line with that in 

 the third line and so on. 



A word of caution may be necessary lest 

 on a cursory examination of the table some 

 should be misled into fixing the standing cf 



pies of foundation were made. The hard 

 brittle character of the wax from which the 

 freshly-made Given foundation came guar- 

 anteed its inferiority. If this is true, and 

 t will hardly be questioned, the quality of 

 the wax used cuts as great a figure in the 

 quality of the foundation produced as does 

 the method of its manufacture, perhaps 

 more. This suggests important questions 

 for future experiments such as the following. 

 Whence does wax derive the undesirable 

 consistency referred to? Does it come 

 from the character of the honey from which 

 it is produced or from excessive boiling or 

 from some other occult cause? If the in- 

 jury is caused by boiling what amount of 



TABLE SHOWING RESULTS OF COMPARISONS. 



the several foundations considered from 

 the column giving the weight of the honey 

 produced. For instance in the second line 

 of the table the Given foundation is shown 

 to carry twelve and a half pounds of honey 

 — the highest amount shown — but that this 

 fact should not be used as an argument in 

 favor of that foundation appears when it is 

 considered that other kinds figure in cases 

 generally less well filled as well as with dif- 

 ferent antagonists so to speak. The col- 

 umns containing the per cent of excess and 

 deficit as found from a comparison of each 

 with the " common term " furnishes a far 

 better criterion. By the use of this it ap- 

 pears that the old Given, though manufac- 

 tured at least a year before, easily leads all 

 the others in quality. But what is the 

 most remarkable is the great difference 

 shown in the quality of the two samples of 

 Given foundation and that this is in favor 

 of that sample which had been much the 

 longer made as well as somewhat lighter in 

 weight. No one was ever heard to affirm 

 that age improves the quality of foundation, 

 and with good reason, so the explanation of 

 the discrepancy must be sought elsewhere. 

 Undoubtedly it is to be found in the char- 

 acter of the wax from which the two sani- 



heat is effectual in doing the injury ? Again , 

 is there any way in which the quality of 

 such wax can be ameliorated? It has been 

 claimed that wax be " annealed " by a 

 proper attention to temperature at the time 

 of sheeting it. Is such claim well founded? 



Nothing farther need be added in explana- 

 tion of the table and scarcely anything more 

 could be said to enforce its lessons. 



Lapeek, Mich Nov. 2, 18%. 



^t^^^^:^^:^ 



Notes From Foreign Journals. 



F. L. THOMPSON, 



Pnge 2(>4, column 1, paragraph 5, line fi, 

 re ;d " three " instead of " tho.ee. " 



La Revue Internatianle.— The druggist 

 who contributed the method for testing wax 

 given last month says the statement should 

 have been made that 70 or 75 per cent alco- 

 hol should be used in the third stage of the 

 process. DO or 9.5 per cent alcohol would 

 lead one to suspect pure wax of being adul- 

 terated. 



From another journal is taken a plan of 

 getting rid of drone brood by sprinkling it 

 with cold water before it is sealed, which 



