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540 



AMERICAN BEE JOURMAL.. 



Foundation and Separators 



—Mr. Eri Kelley, of Rochester, Mo., on 

 March 30, 1892, sent the following 

 questions, desiring Dr. C. C. Miller to 

 answer them, which he has kindly done : 



1. Would you advise any one to use 

 full sheets of comb-foundation in brood- 

 frames ? If so, what grade ? 



2. Would you advise me to use sep- 

 arators for surplus cases? If so, what 

 kind is the best — wood or tin ? 



Bees are in fine condition here, so far. 

 Eri KelIvEy. 



1. In reply, I would say that while 

 some few prefer to have only starters in 

 brood-frames, I think that the great 

 majority are in favor of filling the 

 frame full. If there were no other rea- 

 sons, it would be sufficient to say that 

 by means of foundation you can make 

 sure of having your frames filled with 

 worker-comb. Having drone-comb in a 

 hive is rather expensive business, as it 

 not only gives you just so much less 

 worker-brood, but it gives you a lot of 

 idlers, with good appetites, for the 

 workers to feed. It is also very nice to 

 have the middle wall of the comb hang 

 right in the center of the frame, and if 

 bees build their own comb, they are not 

 at all sure to build it so. Indeed, they 

 are likely to make it corrugated. If the 

 frames are not wired, then use heavy 

 brood-foundation. But I think you will 

 find it to pay you well to wire the frames. 

 In that case you can use medium, or 

 even light brood-foundation, making the 

 cost per frame considerably less. Of 

 course, the thinner the foundation, the 

 more it costs per pound, but a pound of 

 thin goes a good bit further. 



2. If you have only 1 or 2 colonies, 

 and expect to use the honey all in your 

 own family, then It may be well enough 

 for yon to do without separators ; but if 

 you expect to ship, or even if the honey 

 is to be handled ranch at a grocery, then 

 it is better to use separators. As to the 

 material for separators, there has been 

 no little discussion, some contending for 

 tin, and some for wood. Both are right, 

 for it depends upon rircnmstancos which 



is best. I have used them •by the thou- 

 sand of both kinds, and have found tin 

 entirely satisfactory where wood would 

 be a failure, and vice versa. If separa- 

 are nailed on, as in wide frames, then 

 tin is the thing, and means must be used 

 to stretch it tight in nailing it on. A 

 good plan is to have the frame fastened 

 down with the top and bottom bar 

 sprung together. This brings the end- 

 bars nearer together, and, after nailing 

 on the separator, when you release the 

 frame, you will find the separator 

 stretched as tight as a drumhead. If 

 not stretched thus tight, then the tin 

 will be wavy, and the sections on one 

 side will be thin, while the other side 

 will be bulged. But if separators are 

 loose, as in T-supers, then the tin will 

 not do at all, while wood will remain 

 straight. But if the wood is nailed on, 

 the swelling and shrinking that will 

 occur, will make the wood wavy, in the 

 other direction. So use tin for "fast," 

 and wood for "loose" separators. — C. C. 

 Miller. 



Not Mucll IvOSS in the wintering 

 of bees is anticipated in the locality of 

 Mr. J. H. Andre, who writes from 

 Lockwood, N. Y., as follows, on April 

 11, 1892: 



It is hard to tell how the bees have 

 wintered, for, notwithstanding the first 

 of the month was like Summer weather 

 for several days, bleak, snowy weather. 

 is here again, Probaibly the loss will 

 not be great where the management has 

 been good — in fact, I think it never is. 

 I hear the usual cry of robber-bees, 

 which either means careless work in the 

 apiary, or a few bees without a queen, 

 looking for a chance to fly away. 



Bulletin No. 3, of the Experiment 

 Station at Pullmam, Wash., is received. 

 It is a report of the Farmers' Institute 

 held at Garfield, Wash., on Feb. 20, 

 1892. It gives the essays and discus- 

 sions on "The Sugar Beet," "Farm 

 Darying," "Wheat Growing," "Wind- 

 beeaks," etc. A copy may be had .by 

 addressing Pres. Geo. Li 1 ley, at Pullman. 



