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e (5)ee- 



eepeps' jHev^ieCi; 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 

 Devoted to tl^e Interests of Hoqey Producers, 



$L00 A YEAR, 

 w. z. HUTCHISON, Editor and Proprietor. 



VOL. VIL FLINT, MICHIGAN, NOV. 10. 1894. NO. 



Work at IVEidiigan's 



Experimental 



Apiary. 



B. L. TAYLOB, APIABI8T. 

 COMB FOUNDATION TESTS. 



njHE other 

 T' point of spe- 

 cial importance 

 to be considered 

 in determining 

 the comparative 

 value of different 

 samples of foun- 

 d at ions is the 

 thinness to which 

 the bees work the 

 septum in draw- 

 ing it out into 

 comb. The superiority of comb honey car- 

 rying the least possible amount of wax is 

 readily seen and appreciated. Probably 

 this kind is only obtained when the bees are 

 compelled to build natural comb for its pro- 

 duction during very warm weather and while 

 nectar is coming in freely. During cool 

 weather the bees find the wax not so readily 

 worked and when nectar comes in slowly the 

 bees seem to produce more wax than is ab- 

 solutely necessary to contain the honey 

 gathered and in each case so much wax is 

 used that the comb honey produced under 

 such circumstances is often decidedly in- 



ferior. No doubt that made from found i- 

 tion is often inferior, too, especially if the 

 foundation is of poor quality, but the api- 

 arist cannot well forego its use if it can be 

 so made that the comb made from it ap- 

 proaches natural comb in appearance, light- 

 ness and friability. That it can be so made 

 was amply demonstrated by experiments 

 instituted last year for the purpose of di- 

 recting attention to the desirability and pos- 

 sibility of improving the quality of founda- 

 tion. That the object had in view has been 

 accomplished to a most gratifying degree is 

 amply demonstrated by the wonderful ap- 

 parent improvement in the quality of the 

 samples of the foundation, made by some of 

 the leading manufacturers, which were used 

 in the tests the present year, notably that 

 made by the Dadants and that made by Root. 

 In consequence of the experiments made 

 last year very earnest and commendable ef- 

 forts were made especially by A. I. Root in 

 the direction of improving the machinery 

 used in making foundation and it is pre- 

 sumed also in the direction of improving 

 the methods of manipulating wax. That so 

 much apparent progress has been made is 

 highly encouraging and gives abundant 

 promise of rapid and permanent advance- 

 ment. But with the manufacturers this is 

 an experimental stage which is therefore a 

 laborious and expensive one and the temp- 

 tation on their part to slacken their effort 

 must be combatted on the part of bee-keep- 

 ers by a faithful and public pointing out of 

 every defect that appears in foundation sent 



