Februaky, 1922 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



81 



A representative comb from the latest pattern wood-base foundation having the cell walls clearly defined. 

 There are no more imperfect cells than would be found in case of, combs built on regular foundation. 

 This comb is one of twenty built during a goldenrod honey flow in September, 1921, by twenty different 

 colonies. There are some irregular cells next to the top-bar because by an oversight the cells were not 

 not clearly defined on the wood base clear to the top-bar. 



top-bars and bottom-bars are possible, for, 

 of course, the wood veneer makes the frames 

 very strong. 



Early in the season of 1921 we tried wood 

 veneer only 1/40 of an inch thick. We found 

 that this, however, has a tendency to wrin- 

 kle in the hive, so that the combs have a 

 corrugated appearance. 



We first nailed the wood veneer solidly in 

 the frames, but we found that unless there 

 is room for some expansion and contraction 

 from one end-bar to the other, the wood 

 veneer even 1/20 of an inch thick has a 



tendency to warp. We now support the 

 wood veneer by nailing in the center only, 

 and we also saturate the fiber with water- 

 proofing material, so that the wood will be 

 little effected by atmospheric changes. 



When we first started making the wood- 

 base foundation we supj^osed that an im- 

 pression of the base only would answer, and 

 we made no effort to secure a good wall of 

 the cell. The bees paid very little attention 

 .to the original base and constructed worker 

 or drone cells as suited their convenience. 

 Moreover, in some instances they seemed to 



Sealed honey in a comb built from wood-base foundation. Such a comb could be dropped on the floor with- 

 out danger of breaking. The honey extends not only to the thin top-bar but also clear to the bottom-bar. 



