colony of hybrids as fierce as a snapping 

 turtle, and to-day I cu1 a slip from one 

 of their combs containing larvae of a 

 proper age to rear queens. I claim for 

 this method thai it embraces all the 

 good features of all other methods and 

 more, and is tree from the objections 

 attending all of them. 1. It enables the 

 apiarist to be his own judge as to -when 

 the queen should be liberated. 2. She 

 walks out among the bees when she or 

 the bees are not excited. 3. It prevents 

 the queen from taking wing or " run- 

 ning when introducing. 4. To sum it 

 all up, it is the most natural way, and 

 is attended with less trouble than any 

 other method I have seen in print or 

 heretofore tried. 

 Christiansburg, Ky. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Experiments with Comb Foundation. 



JAMES IIEDDOX. 



At different times in every bee-keep- 

 ers' experience, he has for a time some 

 one of the different branches of his pur- 

 suit, particularly, on his mind and 

 nearest his heart! Just now I find my- 

 self leaning toward comb foundation/ 



For six years I run all hive-ward, 

 determined to get almost an automatic 

 hive, and to combine all the valuable 

 features Lnowehive. I need not tell you 

 I failed to gain the entire end sought 

 after, but I am well repaid, I consider, 

 in the attainment of a hive that satisfies 

 me. Then five years were devoted to 

 breeding as my main study. 



After getting hold of some well made 

 pure foundation and using it in the brood 

 chamber for two years, in strips from 

 1 to 3 inches wide, for guides on my 

 Langstroth frames, season before last 

 I tried 8 hives with full sheets, and by 

 working with the bees every day, I suc- 

 ceeded in getting 7 of them through all 

 right, with elongated cells. as the 8-inch 

 sheets stretched about 1 inch. The 

 foundation in the other hive, after being 

 nearly all drawn out and left to take 

 care of itself, fell down and caused the 

 ruin of the colony. It did not come 

 loose from the top-bar. but pulled in 

 pieces. No doubt this lot of wax was 

 Of a rotten nature. In one hive I 

 placed alternate sheets of foundation 

 made on the Root and Dunham ma- 

 chines respectively. I could see no dif- 

 ference in the sagging or amount of 

 comb drawn from the wax ; but. strange 

 enough, thequeen laid in every sheet of 



the Root, Skipping every sheet of the 

 Dunham. I was nonplussed, and no 

 doubt that queen was also. A friend 



gave me Light: "Soap suds on theDun- 

 ham," said he. After a time all was 

 full of brood. 



Why do bee-keepers speak of " sag- 

 ging" so much V l)o they make this 

 word cover all the grouncl of sagging, 

 warping, kinking, etc.? The sagging 

 is no trouble at all compared with the 

 warping, twisting and kinking of foun- 

 dation put into frames without wires. 



Wired foundation will not sag. but I 

 consider it of little value, for it, too, 

 will twist around and kink up, and give* 

 us nearly as much trouble as that not 

 wired. I consider its invention as a 

 standing evidence of a long-felt want, 

 which it does not supply. 



Bees will allow us to hedge about and 

 seemingly violate many or their time- 

 honored instincts in many directions,, 

 but flattening the bottoms of their cells 

 is more than my bees are willing to put 

 up with. 



On the back end of about one-half of 

 my hives containing new swarms the 

 word " Given" is written, and each hive 

 contains 8 combs as straight as if 

 planed, and every cell worker. There 

 is a No. 36 tinned wire running verti- 

 cally every 2 inches. These wires are 

 plainly visible from either side ; eggs. 

 can also be seen in these cells contain- 

 ing the wires. 



On the other hives can be seen " F.,' r 

 U R.," "E.," or "A.," they being the 

 initials of the woman whom we lured 

 to press the wires into the foundation, 

 cell by cell, with a pointed instrument 

 made for the purpose. On opening 

 these hives you will find about 1 sheet 

 in 5 fallen down to the bottom bar : a 

 majority of the others ] ,, to '| of an 

 inch away from the wires. Many have 

 the wires through the side- walls, and % 

 of an inch from the bottom of the ceils- 

 where the foundation is drawn out. 

 There are eggs on the side opposite the 

 wires, but not in those cells that the 

 wires pass through, on the wired side. 



Any system that will not allow one to 

 hive 2 prime swarms on one set oi 

 frames with lull sheets of foundation, 

 and close the hive for that season, and 

 know that when opened all the combs 

 will be found perfect, is not as good as 

 the one I am using. 



Some ninety days ago I received a cir- 

 cular from I). S. (liven. Hoopeston, 111., 

 illustrating and describing a press and 

 die book, for the manufacture of foun- 

 dation in every shape, but especially 

 recommending it for the making of the 

 same in wired frames. This method 

 and its results were so highly praised 

 that I dared not hope for its attain- 

 ment in my apiary. I wrote to Mr. 

 Given that he could find a purchaser in 



