FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES U9 



Beginning at the right-hand end, place your rnle against 

 the left-hand side of the nails, and with a quick stroke 

 make a cut with the knife held flat against the rule. If 

 you don't look out you'll hold the rule so that you'll cut a 

 piece oft" the tip of the thumb or finger of the left hand, 

 l3ut you'll not be likely to do it many times. If you are 

 not careful to hold the knife flat against the rule you will 

 be likely to cut into it. To avoid this I have tried cover- 

 ing the rule with tin, but do not like it so well. The 

 rapidity of the stroke is important. If your knife is hot 

 enough you can cut clear down through at one stroke, 

 but that's bad. The edges of the foundation will be 

 melted tofrether, and you will have trouble getting them 

 apart. Turn down your lamp, and get it so three or four 

 strokes will be needed. 



L?tterly I have given up heating the knife, and like 

 it better. The small blade of a pocket knife is used, and 

 it is kept very sharp, especially at the point. Several 

 rapid strokes do the business. The rapidity of the strokes 

 is important, but some practice is needed, for with the 

 verv quick stroke there is some danger that the knife 

 will cut into the stick. 



Although this plan takes n:ore strokes, it still saves 

 time for there is no heating or changing of knives. It 

 also saves the time of pulling the pieces apart, for with 

 the hot knife there will always be at least a little melting 

 together at the edges. Of course the cutting must not 

 be done when the foundation is too cold, or it will be 

 more or less broken. 



Cutting fo'-'ndation in a miter-box with a corrugated 

 bread-knife was highly commended. I tried it, and was 

 quite pleased to think it made faster work, although 

 hardly such exact work. Then I tin:ed it by the watch, 

 and was surprised to find that it took more time than the 

 old way. 



When the boardful is cut I take a super with a bot- 

 tom in it, gather up and put into it 56 bottom-starters, 

 also the ofi top-starters, making them in a neat pile. 



