2(58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Al'K. 1. 



into a oankingof sawdust, which, being more or 

 less A'et, freezes around tlie outside bottom edge 

 of the case; so you see tiiat we liave, practical- 

 ly, a dead-air space. In time these cases might, 

 however, get a little leaky. 



Now as to results. So far in our apiary we 

 can detect no difference between the air-" pack- 

 ed "and chaff-packed. Yet I will admit that. 

 Ijefore spring, we may see a woeful difference. 

 I might say further, that, on account of dysen- 

 tei-y. three colonies died in chaff hives, and one 

 died in dead-air-space hives. Still, one straw 

 does not show which way the wind blows. I 

 consider it only negative testimony: that is, so 

 far there is nothing particular agni)ist the dead- 

 air space. I have never tried the experiment, 

 but I believe the packed space will cool slower 

 than the air-space. But, mark this: We want 

 all the sunshine we can have. One writei' — I 

 do not know who it was — intimated that air- 

 spaces were better because they would warm 

 up quicker, and so give the bees a chance to 

 turn over in their dose. You see, this fact will 

 partially compensate for the extra protection of 

 packed spaces. 



About those rings of packing. No. I never 

 tried them — that is, not exactly that thing. 

 You know I spoke of this as being one of the 

 provisional things. If the thing worked suc- 

 cessfully here at the Home of the Honey-bees, 

 it is no sign that it would do so in other locali- 

 ties. I merely outlined a few things that I 

 wanted to test, and I wanted others to try, and 

 this was one of them. 



Now, friend Green, I thank you for your crit- 

 icisms, and I am quite willing to have my air- 

 space idea snowed under. My air-space, did I 

 say? No. I do not quite mean that. It is a 

 very old thing that I have been reviving of late, 

 just as I did thick top-bars and fixed distances.] 



E. K. R. 



THE HAYES FOUNDATION-FASTENER. 



A GOOD MACHINE. 



Friend Root: — As per request I herewith in- 

 close a photograph of my foundation-fastener. 

 I can imagine some one exclaiming, "'This is an 

 improved Miller machine, as the principle is a 

 metal plate." But the fact is, I claim entire 

 originality, not knowing that any other persons 

 were working or had worked on the same line. 

 How true the saying, " There is nothing new 

 under the sun."' Really, I imagined I was go- 

 ing to present to the fratei'nity something that 

 would certainly place me in an enviable posi- 

 tion among the great in bee culture. I had al- 

 ready imagined myself in one of those beautiful 

 half-tones in the leading apicultural journal of 

 the world, including anautobiogiaphical sketch 

 of the inventor. But. alas for my fond liopesi 

 Miller gets there, and I am left. 



But notwithstanding. I claim the only practi- 

 cal machine extant. The model was construct- 

 ed over a year ago. I have since manufactured 

 several for supply-dealers and practical apia- 

 rists, and they are pronounced by all an unquali- 

 fied success. The rapidity and perfection of its 

 work an^ astonishing. I can readily put in 10 

 full sheets in one minute. This is about as fast 

 as one can handle the pieces, beijig perfectly 

 centered in the section, and I defy one to be 

 loosened from the S(>ctioii without tearing it off. 

 For putting in foundation (t Ui C. C. Miller, 'il^ 

 at top and % at bottom, it works to pei'fection. 

 It requires no warming preparation of the 

 foundation, it simply should be warm enough 

 to bend without breaking. Its work during the 

 winter months, when other methods are so an- 

 noying, is simply perfection. 



The most important feature of the machine, 

 as compared with any other in the same line, is 

 the guide-block, which centers the foundation 

 without any effort from the oi)eratoi'. The steel 

 plate c is controlled by the treadle, not seen in the 

 picture; consequently it is*adjusted on the floor 

 at the right of the machine. The i)late projects 

 below the head-block a. sufficiently far to extend 

 beyond the centerrof the section. There is be- 

 neath the plate space, so that, when a section is 

 placed on the guide-block, it i)asses beneath the 

 steel plate. The contact of the hot plate with 

 the wood is controlled by the treadle, as you can 

 hold it back until you desire to use it. But I 



HAY?:.S' FOUNDATION-FASTEXEK. 



find the instant occupied in picking up the 

 foundation gives the section the proper warmth 

 to caus(> perfect adhesion. The foundation is 

 Iticked up betwe(>n the thumb and forefinger of 

 each hand, and the lower edge is pressed against 

 the guide-block, coming in contact with the hot 

 plate, which is instantly withdrawn by pressure 

 on the treadle; at the same time the foundation 

 is dropped on the section, firmly adhering to the 

 same. 1 consider this the only correct principle 

 bv w Inch to fasten foundation. 



Mem, R. Hayes. 

 Washington. Kan., Nov. ;.'(). 



[Oui' experience with machines for putting 

 foundation into sections by the aid of a sliding 

 heated i)late or tongue has not heretofore been 

 satisfactory. But Mr. Hayes sent one of his 

 machines, "with a request that we give it a trial. 

 We did so. It does the work neatly, raiddly. 

 and accurately. It has this advantage over 

 machines that press the foundation into \\u\ 

 wood, (( la Clark, in that there is no foundation 

 wasted — an edge turned o\er and pressed into 

 the wood. Youi- humble servant. E. R.. tiled it 

 a good deal: and although it worked rather 

 hard (through no fault of the principle, how- 

 ever, but because the working parts were a little 

 tight) I feltsatistied there was something in the 

 principle. I said, when I first looked at it, that 

 it was copied after Arthur C. Miller's machine; 

 but Ml'. Hayes' letter shows that he also was 

 original. It lias the advantage over the Miller 

 nuichine in that the block A guides the founda- 

 tion to the center of the section. 



Briefly, the mode of operation is this: A sec- 



