1894 



GLEANINGS IN Bli^E CULTURE. 



(519 



Since receiving the article, the following has 

 come to hand, which will explain itself: 



You may say that I have tried cutting- out a strip 

 half an inch wide, and tho l)e(;s made a pei'fect. 

 job of it. One thing- I might li;ive mentioned: 

 There is less stretcliing- with my plan, because tiiere 

 is less to stretch. You see, if the lower strip is 154 

 inches, then a half-inch space, it leaves the sheet 

 only ti inches deep. That's quite an item. 



C. C. MiLLEK. 



We have thought of this matter a good deal; 

 but at this titne we do not n^aily know whether 

 we takti kindly to the plan or not. We have 

 not yet had a chance to try it, but will put a 

 few frames in the apiary, as soon as possible, on 

 the doctor's plan. We might say, in passing, 

 that we have had more trouble with founda- 

 tion, on horizontal wires, buckling tJiis year 

 than ever; in fact, we do not remember that 

 the medium-brood weight ever buckled before 

 on horizontal wires where at least four such 

 wires were strung horizontally across the 

 frame; but this year, on all the frames, the 

 foundation showed a tendency to bulge a little 

 between the wires. We think this was largely 

 owing to the exceedingly hot weather, and to 

 the fact that we did not allow, in consideration 

 of this hot weather, sufficient room between 

 the bottom-bar and the bottom edge of the 

 foundation. We allowed, as usual, from K to 

 •}n; and. contrary to our previous experiences, 

 the foundation sagged c'ear to the bottom-bar. 

 Had we allowed the full half-inch, as Ur. Mil- 

 ler suggests in his note just above, we think 

 there would have been no trouble. On the 

 other hand, when we allow '.>' inch for ordinary 

 seasons, the bees will leave too great a space 

 between the bottom-bar and comb. Accord- 

 ingly we have tried to compromise matters by 

 cutting the foundation just a-* wide as pos>ible, 

 and yet not have it in danger of striking the 

 bottom-bar and buckling. 



Perhaps another thing accounts partially for 

 the buckling. There seems to be a ilemand for 

 a softer grade of foundation ; and we have, 

 therefore, made it sofier by dipping the sheets 

 thinner, which, of course, would make less 

 pressure of the wax that went between the 

 rolls. We have also, this year, taken pains to 

 refine the wax to a greater degree than ever. 

 In fact, all our brood foundation is made of the 

 same wax from which the surplus is made. 

 The extra-hot summer, and the softer wax, 

 probably accounted for the buckling. 



Now in regard to the doctor's plan. We 

 think it quite probable that the buckling can 

 be stopped, and that combs will be built clear 

 to the bottom-bar; but will there not be an ir- 

 regular line of cells where the foundation was 

 cut out? and, after all, does it not entail a 

 great deal of work ? 



If it were not for the extra work of driving 

 in staples, and the bending-up of the bottom- 

 bar, to say nothing of threading the wire 

 through extra holes, we should prefer the per- 

 pendicular plan of wiring, without diagonal 

 wires or intersections. On perj)endicular wires 

 the fouiulation may be put in filled out clear to 

 the end-bars and clear to the bottom-bar, be- 

 cause perpendicular wires, of course, prevent 

 the wax from sagging. It is also possible to 

 use on such wires a lighter weight of wax. 

 Notwithstanding all this, the disadvantages of 

 perpendicular wiring, in our estimation, are so 

 great that the horizontal wires are to be prefer- 

 red; and after all it is seldom that there comes 

 a S(!ason in our locality when foundation on 

 the last named shows a tendency to buckle. 

 I'erhaps. taking it all in all. Dr. Miller's plan is 

 the easiest solution of the whole trouble. Later 



experiments, not only by ourselves but others, 

 will decide the matter. 



We have tried putting foundation up into 

 grooves, as you describti, said grooves being 

 wider and deeper; but we did not like it, prin- 

 cipally on account of the difliculty of fastening 

 the wax; for we knew it would at times sag 

 out and Hop over. We have not yet tried the 

 cand;e; but it strikes us that we should prefer 

 the Hambaugh roller, with an (^ven flat top-bar 

 — the plan that is used not only by Mr. Ham- 

 baugh but by the Uadants and others as well, 

 with great satisfaction. A full description of 

 this method of fastening foundation to the top- 

 bars is given in the new Langstroth Revised, 

 page 37.").— El). J 



DRONE COMB IN SECTIONS. 



I'Kl'IFEKENCK OF THp: BEES FOR IT, ETC. 



lijl Harry L. Dwight. 



Can you tell me why the manufacturers of 

 foundation make only worker size for the sec- 

 tions? It is a well known fact, that the bees 

 prefer the drone size for thin surplus, and will 

 build drone comb if it is left to them. I have 

 made a few experiments on this line, and find 

 that, when worker-size foundation is used, V4 

 or l}'ix4 in., the bees will build down and 

 change to drone, 87 out of 100; when sheets of 

 foundation 2>.ix4 are used they will change to 

 drone 73 out of 100; when just a starter is used, 

 1x4, they will change <,)1 out of 100. 



Two years ago I bought 2 lbs. of drone- 

 size foundation, and used it in two hives, put- 

 ting a section containing drone and one con- 

 taining worker size alternately, using full 

 sheets of each. I found the bees at work in the 

 sections containing drone, and they were filled 

 and capped over four to five days before the 

 sections containing worker size. It seems to 

 me that this is quite an important point. Here- 

 after I intend to use drone size in my sections 

 entirely, provided I can get it. Do you know 

 where I can find it? 



ADULTEKATION, TO CHECK. 



I have an idea by which the adulterating of 

 honey can in a measure be checked. This plan 

 is not original, as a similar method is used by 

 cotton-packers. It is this; Let the Bee-keepers' 

 Union adopt and copyright a label (on the 

 same plan as the Cigar-makers' Union), every 

 member of the Union to be registered and given 

 a number, and label every package of honey he 

 sells. 



Suppose the jobber to whom he sells his 

 honey wants to put it up in l,:.',oro lb. packages. 

 To illustrate, suppose my number is 846. I sell 

 A., B. & Co., 100 lbs. extracted honey. They 

 inform me that tliey intend to put this honey 

 into 1-lb. cans, and I furnish them 100 one- 

 pound labels. No. 84(i. At the same time I fur- 

 nish 200 lbs. to C, D. & Co., to be put into 5-lb. 

 packages; hence I furnisli them 40 five-pound 

 labels. 



Inform the public of this plan, and assure 



