114 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Fastening Fonndation in Frames. 



Mr. S. F. Miller, of North Manches- 

 ter, Intl., addressed us for a method of 

 increasing by dividing, which was 

 published in the Bee Journal, to- 

 gether with instructions for doing so 

 successfully. The following letter 

 from him gives the result of his 

 practice : 



In the Bee Journal for 1881, page 

 100, you instructed me liowto increase 

 by dividing, in answer to a letter on 

 that subject, and I will nowreport my 

 success. I had two colonies, one of 6 

 frames and the other of 7, but I had 

 so little experience I did not know the 

 difference between nuclei and full 

 colonies. First, I had to build the two 

 up to strong colonies, and then I fol- 

 lowed your instructions for increasing, 

 and now have 7 colonies in excellent 

 condition. To-day they had an excel- 

 lent flight, and made everything hum. 

 They have plenty of honey. Now, 

 did I not do well for a beginner V I 

 had only a plug-hat full of bees and 2 

 queens, to commence with. I must 

 express my gratitude for that editorial 

 instructing me and thousands of 

 otiiers, and which I shall forever deem 

 as the foundation of my success. I 

 suppose I must go ahead this spring 

 and increase on the same plan, as be- 

 fore, only that I must use foundation 

 instead of old combs, as I have none. 

 I do not riglitly understand Prof. 

 Cook, in his " Manual," how to fasten 

 fonndation in the frames. I have 

 never seen any foundation. I use the 

 standard Langstroth hive. All I 

 know about bees is what I liave 

 learned from the Bee Journal. I 

 have a good chance for success. This 

 is a good location for honey, and very 

 few l)ees. Which do yon think the 

 liest, the 8, 9 or 10 frame Langstroth V 

 Mr. J. T. Smith, on page 74, thanks 

 Mrs. A. M. Sanders for her recipe for 

 making honey pop-corn balls. Why 

 not publish the recipe for us in the 

 Bee Journal? 



If you intend running for increase 

 this season, then adopt the same 

 course you did the last. There are 

 several methods of fastening comb 

 foundation in frames, as follows : If 

 you use flat top-bars, then double over 

 about one-fourth of an inch along the 

 upper edge of the sheet, with a blunt 

 knife press this lapped portion firmly 

 along the under side of the bar, so the 

 slieet will hang from the center. 

 A machine has recently been invented 

 for the purpose of rapidly fastening 

 foundation in frames, where flat top- 

 bars are used, and for (irmly fastening 

 thin foundation in the section boxes. 

 Many use wax and rosin melted to- 

 gether, and glue tlie foundation on. If 

 you use a top-bar with an inset strip 

 (as many do), you can easily press the 

 foundation to the strip, without the 

 use of melted wax and rosin. If a 



triangular or V-shaped top-bar be 

 used, then cut four slits at equal dis- 

 tances along one edge of the founda- 

 tion, one-half an inch deep — this will 

 give five sub-divisions of the edge — 

 now press up the center and two end 

 portions of the edge, and bend down 

 the other two ; lay down the sheet on 

 a table, place the frame with the lower 



Triangular Top-Bar with Foundation. 



sharp edge of the top to the sheet, and 

 press, with the fingers or a blunt knife, 

 the foundation on the top-bar. These 

 flaps will alternate on each side of the 

 top-bar, and the foundation will hang 

 from the center. 



We prefer the standard Langstroth 

 hive, holding 10 frames. Sometimes 

 a good queen will nearly occupy 10 

 frames in brood-rearing, and tlien tliey 

 are invaluable in strengthening up the 

 weaker colonies. They are also very 

 desirable, as giving the largest surface 

 for section boxes to be placed on top. 

 Should an especial occasion demand 

 less room, or a necessity arise for con- 

 tracting the brood chamber in order 

 to drive the bees into the supers, it is 

 an easy matter to lift out a frame or 

 two, and insert a division-board attlie 

 side. We think a queen is not so 

 liable to take advantage of a slight 

 cessation in the honey flow, and cease 

 laying, where there are ten frames 

 and theconsequent more or less honey 

 around tlie edges, as where there are 

 fewer frames. We are aware there 

 are several practical bee-keepers wlio 

 diiier with us regarding the style of 

 hive, as well as the number of frames ; 

 but our correspondent asks which we 

 think the best. 



The recipe for making honey pop- 

 corn balls, to which reference is made, 

 was published in the Bee Journal 

 of Jan. 4, on page 12. 



Syrian Bees.— Please say througli 

 Bee Journal who is a reliable per- 

 son to procure a colony of pure Syrian 

 bees from. L". G. IIalley. 



New Hamburg, Canada, Feb. ]0„ '82. 



By consulting our advertising col- 

 umns you will see who have bees for 

 sale. We think they are all reliable 

 persons. 



Mild Winter in Europe. 



Not only has the present winter been 

 an unusually mild and pleasant one in 

 most portions of the United States, 

 butin Europe they have been similarly 

 blessed. The following letter from 

 Mr. J. D. Hutchison, Glasgow, Scot- 

 land, breathes of encouragement: 



As proof of the mild weather wliich 

 w-e have enjoyed in thisconntry during 

 the winter, I may mention that a gen- 

 tleman in Dundee, on looking over his 

 apiary a few days ago, found tliat 5 of 

 his colonies had a large amount of 

 brood in all stages. He was fortunate 

 in procuring a colony of hybrids about 

 3 years ago, which were tlien distrib- 

 uted througli most of his other hives, 

 and liave much improved the working 

 power of the bees. In 1880 this liybrid 

 colony gave 3 swarms, and from the 4 

 he liad over 150 lbs. of fine comb lioney, 

 besides leaving his bees sufficient win- 

 ter stores. 



The flowers which have been grown 

 here in the open air are beginning to 

 bud, and in some places full-blown 

 flowers can be had. Butterflies, etc,, 

 have been seen several times of late. 



The Caledonian Apiarian Society 

 has had no meeting yet this year, but 

 I expect one wijl be held at an early 

 date to make arrangements for the 

 annual exhibition, which takes place 

 in Glasgow next July, and which I 

 think will be the largest held as yet. 



By the above, it will be seen that 150 

 pounds of fine comb honey, from four 

 colonies, is regarded as an extraordi- 

 nary yield, and to be accomplished 

 only by bees wliich have been much 

 inu)roved. We liave published several 

 reports, the past season, where whole 

 apiaries in America have given nearly 

 double that amount as an average for 

 each colony, and there are instances 

 on record where triple tliat amount 

 have been realized from a single col- 

 ony in one season ; and when bee- 

 keepers have fully realized the import- 

 ance and profitableness of planting 

 bee pastures (which all eventually 

 will), the fabulous one thousand pounds 

 per colony may be among tlie triumphs 

 frequently realized. 



The above letter however suggests, 

 or rather, sustains, one most import- 

 ant fact : that, with improved bees, 

 the honey yield is not commensurate 

 with their home demand, except at 

 such exorbitant prices as to make it 

 an extravagant luxury. Those who 

 have bewailed the intelligence dissem- 

 inated throughout Europe by the Bee 

 Journal and American apicultural 

 books, can learn an important lesson 

 from the letter, and rejoice with the 

 more intelligent that we are rapidly 

 and surely develoiiiiig an insatiable 

 and remunerative foreign market. 



