lS«t7 



CIJ-ANINCS IN BEE CULTURK. 



(105 



lion is drawn mil alioiil '); inch; antl ihc 

 drawn fuundalion is fastened all around by 

 the bees, and sliijhtly buli^ed." Aj^ain, on 

 the 2(»th of July, he writes:' " I lookeil at the 

 foundation and drawn foun<lation, and found 

 both in about the same condition as on the 

 17th. It looks as though our honey season 

 were at a close. ' ' 



In the mean time we had written to Mr. 

 CVeorije K. Hilton, knowing that willow-herb 

 wouhi folk)W later than clover, and asking 

 him if he would test the drawn foundation. 

 He immediately rejilied that he could, but 

 asked us to .send three supers, each contain- 

 ing half drawn foundation and half full sheets, 

 to" Mr. Roliert, at Woodville, Mich. The 

 supers were sent ; and under date of Aug. 5th 

 Mr. Robert writes: "At noon to-day the com- 

 mon fouTidation had cells fully as deep as the 

 drawn, and much whiter and more uniform in 

 appearance. Honey is not coming in very 

 fast, and work in sections goes on ver\- slowly. ' " 



This test so far would seem to be rather 

 against the new article; but one swallow does 

 not make a summer. 



Mr. D. X. Ritchie, of Black Lick, O., who, 

 I think, is speaking of the new drawn foun- 

 dation, writes, Aug. (ith: "We took off the 

 box containing' the new-process foundation, 

 and I must sa\- it excels the natural — no fish- 

 bone, and belter to eat." The fact that Mr. 

 Ritchie compares the new process with the 

 natural, and speaks of the "no fishbone,'' 

 leads me to believe he was referring to the 

 new drawn foundation. 



Mr. B. F. Onderdonk, of Mountain View, 

 X. J., had previously written us very favorably 

 in regard to the new drawn foundation. In a 

 later letter he wTites: 



The experimental super was taken off la.st evening. 

 July l.st it was placed on a strong colony, and this, as 

 I explained before, was near the end of the honey- 

 flow, as the drouth had set in. lasting from the '2()th of 

 June till the 18th of July, without a drop of rain, July 

 l((th I examined and found the new deep-cell founda- 

 tion, and natural starters, fully drawn and honey 

 stored; Dadant's full sheets halfdrawn: Van Deuseii 

 not touched. 



It will be seen from this that the drawn 

 foundation fully equals the natural comb, and 

 that both were ahead of ordinary foundation. 

 Assuming that Dadant's was equal to the best 

 of ordinary foundation, here clearly is an 

 instance where drawn foundation and natural 

 comb were decidedly ahead; but it should be 

 stated that the test was more severe because 

 Mr. Onderdonk used narrow starters of drawn 

 foundation — one at the top and one at the bot- 

 tom. These in the above test were placed 

 over against /7^// s/iects of ordinary foundation. 



Mr. Onderdonk states further on that the 

 space between the two starters, top and bot- 

 tom, of the drawn foundation, was filled in 

 with natural drone comb, and therefore the 

 appearance of the comb honey from the full 

 sheets of fotuidation was better because it was 

 all worker; but, of course, if Mr. Onderdonk 

 had had the full sheets of drawn that we are 

 nozi.' making, the appearance would have been 

 just as good, and the result decidedly in favor 

 of the new product. 



We also sent some .samples of the new drawn 



foundation to Dr. A. H. Mason. .\t the lime 

 of sending I told him that I knew he would 

 give them a very fair and impartial test; and 

 that if the thing did not pan out well I knew 

 he would be prompt and fearless enough to 

 say so, for he is one of those chaps who, if 

 the other fellow does not like what he has to 

 say — well, he does not worry much about it. 

 He has tested the new foundation, and here is 

 what he says: 



The ten .samples of drawn foundation (or whatever 

 you call it) you sent me for trial came duly to hand. 

 Eight of the pieces, ."J'j by S'; inches .square" were put 

 in two shallow super frames, four in each; and as the 

 four didn't fill the frames to their full length a piece 

 of newly built comb of about the same thickness as 

 the drawn foundation was put in to till it. In five 

 days all was filled with honey, and nicely sealed over. 



flaving some compnuy to dinner the liext tlay after 

 I had removed the honey from the hive, I thoiight it 

 would be a good time to" test it. One of the company 

 I have known as a great lover and consumer of honey, 

 eating it at nearly even,- meal for years. 



Both kinds, the natural comb 'made by the bees, 

 and the drawn foundation, were tested, and some 

 .said the drawn foundation was the nicer, but none 

 thought the natural comb was any nicer, or less 

 "gobby" than that from the drawn "foundation; and 

 the great honey-eater above mentioned thought the 

 comb from the drawn foundation was the nicer, and 

 preferred it to the other. For my own part I could 

 not possibly make my.self see any difference, except 

 near the edges, and there our samples of natural 

 comb were heavier than that from the drawn founda- 

 tion. A. B. M.\sox. 



.Station B. Toledo, O.. Aug. 6. 



The doctor's experience is more in line with 

 our own; and it does not .seem to me that 

 there can be any question about the eating- 

 quality of the drawn-foundation comb honey. 



I will be frank about it and state that, in 

 my opinion, there are times when drawn foun- 

 dation ma}- not show any particular advantage 

 over ordinary foundation ; but I am just as 

 sure that, in a majority of instances, it will 

 prove superior, as I am sure it is an advantage 

 to use full sheets of conmion foundation in- 

 stead of narrow starters of the same article. 



Before any opposition came up at all, it was 

 universally admitted last year that it would be 

 a great advantage to use natural-comb .starters 

 in supers for the purpose of starting the bees 

 to work in the supers. It was, however, ad- 

 mitted that, after the bees got once started, 

 they might work just as well on foundation as 

 on the natural cotiib. Mr. B. Taylor, a year 

 or so before he died, called attention to the 

 great value of drawn combs, and many anoth- 

 er one fully indorsed it ; and all the tests .so 

 far wiih the natural comb and the drawn 

 foundation, both of the same depth, seem to 

 show equal results. So we may assume that 

 there will be a Vjig demand for drawn founda- 

 tion, even though we admit that there are times 

 when foundation will give as good results. 



Vou will see that I have endeavored in the 

 above to state the facts fairly. I have not 

 tried to bolster up drawn foundation any 

 more than it deserves. 



Dox'T forget the big convention that takes 

 place from the 24th to the 'idth at Caton Hall, 

 Buffalo. A. I. R., Mrs. H. R. Root', Leland, 

 and myself expect to be present. See con- 

 vention notes for rates. After attending the 

 convention I expect to tour eastward among 

 bee-keepers, part of the w^ay on my wheel. 



