THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



If it is true that wax is usually secreted 

 in sufficient quantities to hold the honey 

 gathered — a belief I hold to — the use of 

 full sheets in sections can not pay, view- 

 ed from the point of the saving of honey- 

 consumption in wax secretion. Neither 

 can great stress be laid upon the thought 

 of retaining bees to build comb that other- 

 wise would field, unless we give up the 

 generally accepted teaching that those 

 under field age are the wax-workers. It 

 seems that the economy of nature is such 

 that provision has been made for all these 

 things. The influences that bring on the 

 honey-yielding plants also bring on the 

 colony of bees; so that, when the flow- 

 arrives, there are in the colonies those 

 suited to the various duties to be perform- 

 ed; and I sometimes wonder if we do not 

 cease to be economical in too far depart- 

 ing from the natural. 



As hereinbefore intimated, foundation 

 is a very handy article; and if starters 

 can be produced and used in this 

 way cheaper than by natural comb, 

 that will cause it to be used. Bees 

 can start their own comb as well as we; 

 but to induce the building in the place 

 and manner that serve our purpose to 

 the best advantage is another matter. A 

 starter — a very narrow strip of foundation, 

 or bit of natural comb — serves the pur- 

 pose of guiding the bee; and if the use 

 of such gives as perfect a comb as do full 

 sheets of foundation, we come right back 

 to the question of wax-secretion. 



It is claimed that the full sheet brings 

 a better finish; but if so, it is only a min- 

 or point among many. I shall send to 

 the Root Co. sections built out from brood 

 foundation, from extra thin, from half- 

 sheets, from very narrow starters, "drawn 

 foundation," and natural comb, all in 

 one super, and I doubt if expert judges 

 can tell which is which by the finish. I 

 have believed for years, and practiced 

 accordingly, that the strongest point in 

 favor of full sheets in sections was the ex- 

 tent to wliich they act as bait-combs. 

 They do have some inducement in this 

 way. We know that a colon}- can build 

 a lot of comb in a very little time when it 

 is needed; but to detennine just whether 

 foundation is a help in anj- great degree 

 is a problem very difficult to determine. 

 There has been a great deal of haphazard 

 gues.sing done; but thorough practical 

 tests are as "scarce as hens' teeth." 



To take into consideration all fields and 

 conditions, I do not think a wholesale 

 use of foundation in sections is profitable. 

 Starters or guides we must have from 

 some source; and a bit at the top, and a 

 like one at the bottom, serve the purpose. 



Some place much stress on the use of full 

 sheets to avoid the building of drone 

 comb, because worker is thought to be 

 prettier. Years ago I admired a finished 

 section of drone comb above that of 

 worker-cells, and 'tis a fact that I did not 

 know the worker comb was more beauti- 

 ful until somebody told me so — don't 

 even yet know it. 



Now, when it comes to eating honey I 

 will take natural comb before that on 

 foundation, and the clear honej- without 

 cDiy wax before either of the others. 

 More than this, I find a whole lot of cus- 

 tomers whose likes in the matter are just 

 like mine, as to taking it with or without 

 the wax; they are not versed on the 

 foundation question. 



As to the "drawn foundation, " my own 

 experience with last summer's limited 

 test shows it to be no more objectionable 

 than the old-style foundation. It "tasted" 

 no more wax)'. It looked just as nice. 

 The bees took kindly to it, putting honey 

 in it within 24 hours after putting on the 

 hive. I did not watch to see if it was 

 sealed first, but know it was not the last 

 to be sealed. Evidently my bees used it 

 just as they would a piece of natural 

 comb equally developed. The flow was 

 quite moderate, comb-building a little 

 tedious, weather rather hot, and general 

 conditions favorable to excellent super 

 work had the flow been more free. 



I have seen one sample of the "drawn 

 foundation" from another part of the 

 State where the yield was better than 

 mine. I do not know the conditions at 

 the time it was put on; but there was a 

 lot of extra wax plastered on for some 

 reason. The honey was removed from 

 the comb, and cells broken off to the 

 foundation. The party who tried it was 

 disgusted with it. 



Super 3vvas on a strong colony that 

 was doing good work. The finish was 

 good considering the very moderate flow 

 in which it was worked. This super I 

 have sent to The A. I. Root Company 

 just as it left the hive, together with sam- 

 ples of the sections from the other two 

 supers. Notice that there were three 

 supers on three colonies of different 

 strength, but all worked at the same 

 time. 



Here are the numbers of the sections, 

 and what thev contained when put on 

 the hives; and by referring to the maps you 

 can see the position occupied. All start- 

 ers less than full sheets were put in so 

 that the short way was up and down, the 

 the most of them running clear across the 

 top of the section. No. i, starter of Weed 

 extra thin, i)4 x 2; 2, Weed thin, \%-s. 2; 



