756 



GI.EANTXGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15 



JOHN BAILEY S DISPLAY OF HONEY' AT THE BRACEBRinCE EXHIBITION. ONTARIO, CANADA. 



and }i deep is the most suitable dimension to 

 adopt. The splints should be tkXtV or tV^sV- 

 The latter dimension is better for splints prop- 

 erly built into combs on a good flow of honey. 



The splints are U inch longer than the distance 

 between the top and bottom bars, inside measure- 

 ments. Waxing is best, but may be dispensed 

 with in a good honey-flow. 



To wax the splints, take a dozen or two at a 

 time between the fingers and twirl them in a ves- 

 sel of hot wax. A little practice will develop the 

 requisite skill. It is not necessary to wax the 

 entire length of splints. There will never be any 

 gnawing of foundation around the splints near 

 the top-bars. It is at the bottoms of combs being 

 built that all the cutting-out is done. 



So you can leave two inches at one end of the 

 splints safely, and the waxing is a small job com- 

 paratively. Just stand the splints on end in a 

 leaning position until you have enough supplied 

 for the foundation to be used that day, or a week 

 or month later. 



Now, in putting in the foundation you have 

 two inches of unwaxed splint to handle them by. 

 Take hold of this portion and insert the waxed 

 end in kerfs in the bottom-bars, and spring the 

 splints into the top-bars. That is the whole pro- 

 cess. Now, by using eight splints there is no 

 need oi fastening foundation to the top-bars. This 

 saves much time, and all that is requisite to suc- 

 cess is to be sure the foundation fits close to the 

 top-bars. If bottom-bars are not of good thick- 

 ness to support the weight of heavy combs, there 

 is going to be sagging sooner or later. I would 

 advise gluing in a splint to the top and bottom 

 bars through the center of each frame. This 

 unites the top and bottom bars at the center of 

 the combs, and no sagging of combs is possible. 



For imbedding splints I use a small wooden 

 roller. Imbed the foundation by placing the 

 splints on the bottom of the foundation and the 



roller on the top. It is easy work compared to 

 wiring, and a much greater amount of founda- 

 tion can be stayed in the same length of time. 



I wire many frames for purposes that I can not 

 take room to explain. I am situated so as to 

 make a pretty accurate estimate. As regards 

 wiring, I find the principles of application gener- 

 ally faulty. It is reasonable to suppose that the 

 greatest strain upon foundation occurs near the 

 top of the frames; hence here is the proper place 

 for applying the maximum support. I never use 

 more than three horizontal wires, and not 25 

 frames in 1000 show the least sign of stretched 

 foundation. My first wire is placed 1^ inches 

 from the top-bar; second wire, 134^ below the first 

 wire; third wire, 2% below the second wire, and 

 5 '4 below the top-bar. The foundation belo-tv 

 the third wire from the top-bar is not going to 

 stretch; and if all wires are put in reasonably tight 

 the foundation will not stretch anywhere in work- 

 ing. 



I have been wiring combs over 30 years, and 

 have used splints 23 years. I like wood splints 

 the best, but wiring is good enough, though it 

 takes more time. 



Howardsville, Va. 



[The question may arise whether it would not 

 be advisable to use a combination of wire and 

 splints. Three or four horizontal wires stayed 

 up through the middle by one or two wooden 

 splints might retain the ad\antages of both sys- 

 tems. Who has tried it? — Ed.] 



L' Apiculture Nowvelle mentions the fact that 

 Servia now has a bee journal edited by Mr. Chris- 

 tophe Mechoulya, and published at Belgrade. 

 Our Austrian friends have done a great deal to 

 improve the agriculture of Servia, and that the 

 country, small as it is, supports a bee journal, 

 shows some one is doing good work for apiculture. 



