174 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



On page 132 of the A B C and 

 X Y Z of Bee Culture, latest edi- 

 tion, is a short exposition of var- 

 ious methods of imbedding the 

 wires in foundation, by hand, by 

 pressure, hot irons, etc., and also by 

 electricity. It is to this latter plan 

 that we desire to call attention 

 here. Having a current in our shop 

 for operating our two horse motor, 

 which runs our circular saws, we 

 conceived the idea of utilizing it 

 for foundation work. We had been 

 using the spur wheel imbedded, 

 and while it worked fairly well, if 

 conditions were perfect, if for ex- 

 ample, foundation was JUST the 

 right temperature, still the founda- 

 tion was mashed more or less, and 

 the wire instead of being imbedded, 

 really lay open in a kerf. so to 

 speak, made by the moving wheel. 

 And then, when for any reason, a 

 frame was jarred suddenly, to one 

 side, before it was given to bees, 

 the lower half was sure to slip away 

 from the wire, and no amount of 

 coaxing could make it stay again, 

 unless we poured melted wax into 

 the groove. Such going back and 

 fixirg up always takes time, and is 

 costly. 



Accordingly we put in four lamps, 

 to act as resistance, and after 

 passing our 110 Volt current through 

 these, we carried it down in two 

 wires, to which were attached wire 

 handles, about four inches long, 

 bent for half an inch at the tip, 

 making a little foot or step, like 

 that of the Presser-foot of a sew- 

 ing machine; these wire handles 

 we covered with insulating tape, 

 and were ready for business. We 

 turn the switch, allowing current 

 to pass through these handles, as 

 poles, and when they are laid on 

 the wire, above the foundation, for 

 about ten seconds,, the wire is 

 seen to sink at once into the wax, 

 a little row of tiny beads of melt- 

 ed wax gleaming along the wire 

 to show that the thing is done. 

 Then the tips are lifted, and 

 touched to the next wire, and so on 

 down. It is rapid and easy. No 

 strain, temperature of wax or room 

 makes no difference. No strain on 

 eye or nerve, or hand. And best of 

 all, the wire is IN the wax. no 

 kerf to let it out. It is in for 

 good. I have taken a frame with 



the foundation thus fastened in, 

 and dropped it from a point as high 

 as my arm can reach above my 

 head (I am not a giant!) on the 

 floor, foundation down, wire up, and 

 no damage was done. It looks al- 

 most as if the foundation had 

 ueen made with the wire in it, 

 as the dream of many would make 

 it. And quick, and easy, why, it is 

 fun to put in a hundred sheets of 

 roundation, as a mere pastime 

 before breakfast! We would sug- 

 gest this arrangement to any who 

 have access to a current. And in 

 these days of interurbans, tele- 

 phones, and lights, it is bceoming 

 i^ore and more widely possible to 

 have a current in your buildings. 



E. G. B. 



iVivate Office of E. D. Townsend 

 & Sens While at Keinus, Mich. 



The friends who we have had so 

 u-uch pleasant correspondence with 

 for the last fourteen years while 

 at Remus will be interested in the 

 picture of our private office shown 

 on another page of this number. 

 This same furniture is now being 

 used, in connection with what Na- 

 ional furniture we have at the 

 Review office at the present time. 

 In a later number we hope to get 

 vime to show ycu a picture of the 

 Review office as it is today. In this 

 kindly do not picture in your mind 

 anything elaborate. 



The Review to Contain Moio Read- 

 ing flatter in the Future 



The reader, ere this, has noticed 

 that the yellow cover of the Re- 

 view is no more. This, rather ex- 

 pensive luxury, that the late Mr. 

 Hutchinson thought so much of, on 

 account of his artistic turn of 

 mind, we find is not appreciated 

 (according to it's cost) by the 

 readers in general, and the present 

 management asked the delegates 

 at St. Louis to be allowed to dis- 

 continue it and they unanimously 

 consented to the change. The point 

 that will interest the reader most 

 is the fact by making this change 

 we are able to give you about four 

 extra pages of solid reading matter 

 each month more than the Review 

 TVER contained before. This is 

 the equivalent of two extra articles 

 each month, or twenty-four two 



