BEE KEEPERS. 443 



Mr. Davi^. If we have any frame that is wired I do not know it. I don't ob- 

 ject to wire if anybody wants it, but I don't want it. I can produce just as good 

 comb as you can with wire. I have helped to extract several thousand frames, 

 and have the first to break yet in extracting. I never have much trouble with 

 foundation sagging. Sometimes when it is put a little too close to the edge it will 

 double over, and I take my knife and trim it a little. I have tried several plans 

 for fastening foundation in frames. For the last year I lay my foundation down 

 60 the sun will strike on the edge, and when the foundation is a little soft I press 

 it in with my thumb. I can put in several in a minute and not break them. 



3fr. Cox. I once thought I had no use for wire frames. After I put some in 

 without wire I tried wire, and it gave better satisfaction. Hereafter I shall use 

 wire, it will sag a little if you don't. When putting in comb foundation in gen- 

 eral for working bees I don't want any drones in there. 



Dr. Minnick. I put a swarm of bees in a new hive and was not very careful, 

 and the foundation sagged considerable. I consulted my friend Daugherty about 

 it. I had watched it very closely ; there was not a drone hatched out in that col- 

 ony of bees. Those cells were oblong and curled at the bottom, and not running 

 octagonal shape. There will be no drones in that colony where they sag down 

 that way. 



Mr. Bull. I use a small castor for putting in foundation. I have a board one- 

 half inch thick frame, and run the castor along on the frame a few times and it is 

 hard to pull off. I don't use wire. 



F. L. Daugherty. There was a time when foundation was sought after as wire 

 frames are to-day, and just as hard to induce people to take hold of them ; they 

 were objecting to foundation then as people are fighting wire frames to-day. Our 

 friend Muth is an exception in handling bees. Not one man in a hundred can 

 clean a frame as Mr. Muth does. We are making frames for everybody. In ex- 

 tracting honey there is danger of breaking the frames if there is not something 

 to solidify them. I have tried to handle foundation and shake the bees off with- 

 out damaging the comb. The majority of practical bee keepers of the land to-day 

 are looking forward to wire frames, yet it is more expensive than common frames. 

 We are all slow to adopt it. I have satisfied myself that the wire frames are su- 

 perior to anything else we can get. 



Mr. Muth. I do not want my friend to entertain the idea that I am fighting 

 the wire frame. I can shake the bees off without breaking the comb. Combs 

 without wire are strong enough for me. 



Mr. Kennedy. The practice of shaking bees off the foundation is worthy of 

 acme attention. I would ask if it is right to shake them off in front of the hive. 

 I brush my bees off in the hive with a goose quill, and leave the bees in the hive. 

 If that is not the best plan I want to know something about the shaking business. 



Mr. Muth. I don't shake the bees off in front of the hive, but I stand behind 

 the hive, take the frame out and give it a gentle shake on top of the hive. If any 

 remain brush them off gently, and clean the frame. If you shake them on a hard 

 board it may hurt them. 



Mr. Scholl. There is an objection to shaking the bees back into the hive. 

 When you have forty of fifty pounds of honey in the upper story, I have found it 



