432 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



FIG. 2. — FASTENING FULL SHEETS OF FOUNDATION ON THREE SIDKS. 

 By using this method it was found that buckling was prevented. 



foundation on all sides of a section unless it 

 is placed in such a position that it can not 

 spring either way until it is filled and fin- 

 ished by the bees. This is easily accom- 

 plished by following the directions and illus- 

 trations we gave in the May 15th issue of 

 Gleanings for 1904. 



Cut a light board about three inches lon- 

 ger than the width of four sections, and just 

 the width of the inside of the section. Now 

 cut four square blocks of such a size that 

 folded sections can slip over them, and a 

 fraction less in thickness than the width of 

 the section. Nail the first block 1^ inches 

 from the end of the board, and place a sec- 

 tion over it. Put block No. 2, with section 

 over it. next to No. 1, and so on till all are 

 nailed on. Make at least five or six of these 

 forms with blocks on. Next make a trough 

 the width of the board of the form without 

 the sections, and 2 inches deep, so the form 

 will slip in easily to the depth of the blocks. 

 I next melt some wax for fastening the 

 foundation, using about one-tenth part of 

 clean rosin, and have ready a wax-tube or 

 teaspoon with the end bent in on both 

 sides. 



If possible, get the foundation cut by the 

 manufacturer, so that all sheets will make a 

 given number of uniform starters with as 

 little waste as possible. The three last sea- 

 sons I have been unable to buy starters cut 

 just right, and so have had a loss of one^ 



seventh of the foundation for the crop of 

 20.000 sections. 



Put the sections on a form, and spring the 

 section-holder over them. This makes them 

 square and tight. Place the foundation in 

 clear to the top of the section. I prefer a i 

 space between the lower end of the founda- 

 tion and the bottom of the section, as this is 

 just about the amount needed to take up 

 any possible sagging, and to prevent the 

 buckling of the foundation. Now grasp the 

 form in such a way that the top part of the 

 section is lowest, and apply the melted wax 

 on the section at the edge of the foundation, 

 turning the form so as to run the wax all 

 around as far as wanted. If all four sides 

 are waxed, the weather warm, and the honey 

 coming in fast, there may be a bulge at the 

 lower part of the section; so of late we pre- 

 fer to cut the starter full size, i inch short at 

 the bottom, and to wax the top and only 

 two-thirds down each side. Lay this filled 

 form down to cool, and take the next, giv- 

 ing the wax of the first four sections a few 

 minutes' time to harden. Then place the 

 form over the trough ; press the tray down 

 out of the sections and you will have the 

 wide frame of sections, and with the founda- 

 tion ready for the super without danger of 

 buckling. 



If every thing is made right, this method 

 of fastening foundation is not very slow, as 

 we have had over 3000 starters fastened in a 



