312 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15 



pose, now, we bad a general law covering the 

 whole United States. I am rather of the 

 opinion that this same chap would not only 

 crawl into his hole, but would "pull the hole 

 in after him." 



PLAIN SECTION — THE OTHER SIDE. 



So far the matter that has appeared in 

 Gleanings has been favorable to the plain 

 section ; but recently we have received two 

 letters from different parties who tried them 

 and did not like them. The particular ground 

 of objection of one party seemed to be that 

 they did not hold enough honey. The other 

 man, years ago, used two-pound sections ; but 

 these did not take as well as the smaller sec- 

 tions having bee-ways. This would naturally 

 be expected. I am quite willing to publish re- 

 ports from those who have tested the plain sec- 

 tions and fences and have found them wanting 

 or unsatisfactory. As I have often said, I do 

 not wish Gleanings to give only one side. 



The only valid objection that can be urged 

 against the plain section is that it may not, 

 when filled with honey, be as cratable as those 

 with bee -ways. L. A. Aspinwall, of Jackson, 

 Mich., who has tested them thoroughly, men- 

 tions this, but he has no trouble providing he 

 takes proper precaution. He goes further by 

 saying that the plain section will obviate the 

 necessity of no-drip cleats, because the edges 

 fitting close all around will prevent the honey 

 from running down between the sections, caus- 

 ing them to stick to the bottom of the cases. 



four-bee-way or open-all-around sec- 

 tions. 



Something like ten years ago there arose 

 quite a furore over the style of section above 

 mentioned. They had bee-ways in the sides 

 as well as in the tops and bottoms, and many 

 were the thousands that we turned out of this 

 style, and sent them abroad over the land and 

 across the ocean. There seemed to be a gen- 

 eral verdict at that time, so far as I can re- 

 member, that the continuous passageways 

 from side to side resulted in a better filling of 

 the comb. At the Columbus Centennial in 

 1888, and later on at the World's Fair in Chi- 

 cago, there was exhibited comb honey in open- 

 all-around sections. In both instances my 

 atteiition was called to the better filling of the 

 comb. At various times since, reports from 

 bee-keepers from different parts of the coun- 

 try have testified to the same thing. 



Well, now, the question naturally arises, 

 "Why didn't these sections push the others 

 out of the market? " In the first place, they 

 were awkward to get in and out of the supers. 

 Those naughty jutty corners would stick and 

 catch. Then, again, many thought it neces- 

 sary to use tin separators having transverse 

 slots coming directly opposite these side open- 

 ings in the sections, which of course made an 

 extra expense. Still again, these projecting 

 corners had a fashion of splitting off; and, 

 lastly, supply -dealers nowhere pushed them 

 to the front. This last, possibly, may have 

 had more to do with their waning popularity 

 than any thing else. 



We did not think of it at the time, but it 

 occurs to me now, at least, that these project- 

 ing corners would come just at the point that 

 would shut off free communication along the 

 line where bees are inclined to make holes in 

 the corners of the section boxes. 



Now, then, don't you see that, with the 

 plain section, one may carry out the principle 

 of free communication from side to side by the 

 use of a fence construe ted on the principle of 

 the' one shown by J. E. Crane on page 185? 

 Or one may use cleats on his fence as long as 

 the section is tall, and shut off side communi- 

 cation entirely. Or he may use cleats that 

 are an inch or more shorter than the width of 

 the fence, thus securing at one and the same 

 time continuous passageways at the top and 

 bottom of the section, and for half an inch or 

 more up and down on each side. In a word, 

 it seems to me that the plain section may pos- 

 sibly secure the advantages of the open-all- 

 around sections of former days, without their 

 disadvantages. 



THE NEW section FOUNDATION — 18 FEET TO 

 THE POUND. 

 We have sent out a few samples of this to 

 bee-keepers who are especially interested in 

 light-weight foundation, or who might be in 

 position to give the new product an early test. 

 The first letter received came from our friend 

 Bingham, of smoker fame. He writes : 



Dear Sirs. — Sample of foundation is received — beau- 

 tiful indeed. Mr. Dadant seems to think the wall a 

 valuable feature in the proce.'-s of making. Probably 

 such is the case. We shall have a fair chance to dem- 

 onstrate whether the wall is of value to the bee-keeper 

 and consumer of honey, as we now have both kinds to 

 use. The wall may be a greater factor in fishbone 

 than thicker bases. At present I believe the evidence 

 favors no wall, even il the base has to be thicker. 



Farwell, Mich., April 5. T. F. Bingham. 



The second came from Mr. O. O. Poppleton, 

 who, after testing the product, has this to say ; 



Ml . F.. R. Root: — I have just examined those speci- 

 mens of your new foundation sent me to be tested I 

 find the lower half of each sheet has not perceptibly 

 .stretched, while the upper half has slightly. The 

 upper inch of the sheets has stretched from',',, to ',3 

 inch; that is, from 6 to 12 per cent. As almost all the 

 .stretch is in this upper inch, it is safe to say the entire 

 sheets of 4 inches long have stretched from 1',. to ,-'a 

 inch. The cells are built out fully ^4 inch, but as yet 

 no honey has been stored in them, there being but 

 little honey coming in just now. This test was made 

 by fastening in top of brood-frames, and inserted be- 

 tween ilie first and second, and the eighth and ninth 

 combs of a thriving nine-fiame colony. I judge the 

 test has been about the same, fully as severe as it 

 would be in a stronger colony in the surplus apart- 

 ment. It would have been a more reliable test if .some 

 of your ordinary thin foundation CQuld have been 

 alternated with this. 



Saw palmetto is ju.st coming into bloom. Prospects 

 are favorable for a fair flow. O. O. Poppleton. 



Stuart, Fla., April il. 



We omitted to tell Mr. Poppleton which 

 way to hang the foundation; and, in the ab- 

 sence of any specific instructions, he probably 

 hung it in the brood- frames just as we hang 

 all foundation, with two parallel sides at right 

 angles to the line of support. The construc- 

 tion of the ordinary mill makes this necessary. 

 Mr. Weed, by some experiments he has made, 

 has come to the conclusion that it would be a 

 great advantage to mill the foundation just 

 the other way to, and he has therefore con- 

 structed a special mill. He finds that the 



