282 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



hands. Place the foundation y\ of 

 an inch more than centre of box, 

 so when the pressure bar is operated 

 it rests on three-sixteenths of edge of 

 foundation, which is sufficient to 

 firmly press the foundation into the 

 grain of wood, and by same operation 

 the presser is drawn off from foun- 

 dation. This smooths it on to sur- 

 face of box. If foundation is not 

 too cold will make it firmly secured 

 to box. I consider this method the 

 most practical of any thing I have 

 ever tested. 



3. It is advisable to order foun- 

 dation early having it delivered two 

 or three weeks before you need to 

 use it. I do not deem it advisable 

 to put foundation into frames or sec- 

 tions until just before the honey flow 

 comes on. 



4. I think it has a tendency to 

 loosen it. Heat expands the foun- 

 dation while cold contracts it. 



5. I have never been able to find 

 any foundation that would not sag 

 without wire when given to a large col- 

 ony of bees during the honey flow, 

 and quite often they will break down. 



I use nothing but heavy wired, flat 

 bottomed foundation for the brood 

 nest. I think wire an improvement 

 taking everything into consideration. 



6. I find medium wired founda- 

 tion better than heavy unwired and 

 never use thin wired foundation for 

 brood-nest. 



ANSWERS EY A. E. MANUiM. 



I. I think the best way to fasten 

 foundation in brood-frames is to 

 use melted wax. I use a camel's 

 hair brush for the purpose, inserting 

 a short stick in the quill end to han- 

 dle it by. The brush is not to be 

 over one-half inch long. The wax is 

 used quite hot but not so hot as to 

 smoke or to scorch the brush. The 

 heat is regulated by placing the lamp 

 inside of a small box,' on the top of 

 which is tacked two strips of tin to 

 , hold the cup of wax over the lamp. 

 No rosin is used with the wax. 



For neat, rapid and accurate work 

 the melted wax plan is also the best 

 for fastening foundation in sections. 

 The wax is applied on one side only, 

 but on both sides in attaching brood 

 foundation. For sections I use the 

 smallest size of brushes, such as phy- 

 sicians use in applying medicine to 

 the eyes. The foundation is placed 

 on a bevelled block so as to hold it 

 exactly in the centre of the section, 

 the bevel being made so that when 

 tlie wax cools, it will draw the foun- 

 dation to a perpendicular line. The 

 bevelled block is nailed to another 

 piece so as to support the section in 

 one hand easily. One quick stroke 

 of the brush fixes the foundation and 

 I have never had it fall down. I can 

 easily put the foundation in 150 sec- 

 tions per hour. 



2. I have never fastened foun- 

 dation except by the above plan, but 

 believe I can do it more rapidly than 

 can be done by any machine. Be- 

 sides, no machine can do the work 

 half so well, and fiirthermore no over- 

 heated room is required in which to 

 do the work. 



3. Yes. 



4. Not when fastened with melt- 

 ed wax, especially in sections. Heavy 

 foundation will stand well in cool 

 weather if the wax is put on heavily 

 at each end of the strip or sheet. 



5. No, not in my experience. I 

 consider wire to be a detriment in 

 brood-frames. It is a puttering, dis- 

 agreeable job to put it in and when 

 done is a needless and useless piece 

 of work. I have tested it thoroughly 

 and get fully as straight combs with- 

 out it as with, and whether built from 

 a foundation starter two inches wide 

 or a whole sheet. It is well known 

 that the best makes of foundation 

 do not sag when properly used, so 

 that there is no need of wire to sup- 

 port the comb. I should not think of 

 using wire except I wanted to hive 

 swarms upon full sheets of founda- 

 tion, and that I would not want to 

 do as as there is more money and less 



