730 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Dec. 1 



FULL SHEETS OF FOUNDATION IN SEC- 

 TIONS DEFENDED. 



A Reply to Friedman Greiner; only Extra 

 Thin Foundation Used in Split Sections. 



BY J. E. HAND. 



The article by Mr. F. Greiner on the use 

 and abuse of foundation in sections, page 

 528, would seem to call for a reply from me, 

 especially in view of his error in assuming 

 that I find it necessary to use brood founda- 

 tion in split sections. This is doubtless due 

 to a former statement of mine that I might 

 be compelled to use foundation heavier than 

 extra thin in split sections. 



Permit me to say in this connection that 

 the trouble from buckling of foundation in 

 split sections to which Mr. G. refers exists 

 only in the imagination of those who have 

 condemned these sections without giving 

 them a trial. In justice to myself it is proper 

 to say that / use only extra-thin foundation in 

 split sections. Mr. G. is, therefore, jumping 

 at conclusions when he assumes that I use 

 brood foundation in them. 



His statement, that those who use full 

 sheets of foundation in sections are catering 

 to the demands of the seller instead of the 

 consumer, are, it seems to me, wide of the 

 truth. He appears to forget that the seller 

 is in touch with the consumer; and unless he 

 caters to his wants he must quit and go out 

 of business. The fact that the seller de- 

 mands a certain kind of honey is prima-facise 

 evidence that the consumer prefers it. 



Mr. Greiner's statement, that the consum- 

 er rarely demands that honey be attached to 

 the section on all sides, and capped to the 

 wood, is doubtless true; and yet if given the 

 choice, that is the very kind he will take in 

 preference to the kind Mr. G. describes as 

 being fastened at the top with only two little 

 legs at the side, and none at the bottom, with 

 an open space between the honey and the 

 wood. 



I don't quite see how any one in the light 

 of our present grading-rules should call such 

 an article gilt-edged. It is the appearance of 

 comb honey that sells it, and the eating qual- 

 ities that hold the customer after we once 

 get him. The difference between the ap- 

 pearance of a section of comb honey that is 

 built from full sheets of foundation and one 

 from small starters only, is wide enough to 

 include the whole scope of scientific comb- 

 honey production. The difference in the 

 eating qualities is so slight as not to be notic- 

 ed by the average consumer, and exists only 

 in the fact that there is a trifle more wax 

 where full sheets of foundation are used. 

 However, since most people eat honey with 

 bread, the small amount of wax contained 

 in a mouthful of honey could not be detect- 

 ed, even by an expert. 



I plead guilty to the charge of producing 

 the Kind of honey that commands the high- 

 est price in the open markets; and because 

 I can't produce such an article in my location 

 with starters only I prefer to use full sheets 



of foundation in sections. The rapidly in- 

 creasing demands for such honey speaks 

 louder than any argument that can be brought 

 to bear on the other side of the question. 



No doubt Mr. Greiner is able to produce a 

 very fine article with only small starters of 

 foundation in sections; but the point is, will 

 it pay him to do it? This question is fully 

 answered by his statement that he would 

 have made a great deal more money had he 

 used full sheets of foundation in sections 

 during the last 25 years. On the whole it 

 would seem that he has little to show for his 

 25 years of self-sacrifice along this line, for 

 he does not say that he is able to get five 

 cents more per pound for his product, which 

 he would have to do to make himself good. 



I have been a producer of comb honey on 

 a small scale for more than 30 years; 14 years 

 of this time I delivered a good share of my 

 produce direct to the consumer; and while I 

 don't remember a single complaint about 

 the foundation, I have had patrons object to 

 light-weight sections before I knew enough 

 to use full sheets of foundation. Sections of 

 honey are largely sold by the piece, and light- 

 weight sections, like poorly filled boxes of 

 berries, are viewed with suspicion by the 

 consumer, and justly so. 



Birmingham, 0. 



KEEPING DEES IN A WARM ROOM 

 THROUGH THE WINTER. 



An Interesting Series of Experiments 



Showing the Effect of Artificial Heat 



on Bees. 



BY SAMUEL SIMMINS. 



This subject appears to strike the editor 

 of Gleanings as a matter of considerable 

 importance, and is one that claims some at- 

 tention every few years. At one time it was 

 a most fascinating hobby in the writer's own 

 experience. 



Some thirty years ago I placed a colony of 

 bees in a greenhouse in mid-winter, at a 

 temperature that never went below 70°; 

 and while, when the sun was warming up 

 the house during the day, about 110° would 

 be maintained. It was a very interesting 

 sight, in the depth of winter, to see the bees 

 actively carrying in artificial pollen which I 

 sprinkled on deal shavings in a box at the 

 further end of the house, where they were 

 loading up with a right merry hum. 



After the first day or two the glass did not 

 trouble the bees in the least, and they would 

 fly in a continuous stream direct to the pea- 

 flour, and, when loaded, straight back to the 

 hive, as though they were unaware of any 

 glass boundary, or that there was a wider 

 world beyond. Thin syrup was supplied at 

 the same time, and fairly large patches of 

 brood were established, hatchmg out in due 

 course. And so this interesting game went 

 on until spring came in; but just here is the 

 crucial point — no material increase in num- 

 bers was secured, and the sequel was not 

 unexpected. 



