THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW^- 



37 



to be gratitied nt the expense of financial 

 profit use single tier wide frames with sep- 

 arators. 

 Lapeek, Mich. Jan. 80, 18'Jl. 



The Review Does Review — Advantages of 

 Foaudation. 



JOSHUA BULL. 



§()ME have said that the Review does 

 not review ; but is not this a mistaken 

 conclusion ? Although it does not pro- 

 ceed in exactly the way in which many of us 

 at first expected it would, that is, by sifting 

 out the chaff and giving us the clean, meaty 

 kernels of the ingrained, valuable thought 

 which may perchance be found in the vol- 

 uminous bee literature of the day, yet, in- 

 stead of this, the editor writes up the topic 

 for the next issue one month in advance, 

 and invites all correspondents to review his 

 leader, criticise, and enlarge upon the sub- 

 ject. By this means is obtained a compila- 

 tion of the collective wisdom of many minds 

 concentrated upon one theme. It seems to 

 me that this might very appropriately be 

 called a grand review. 



Now, in regard to the question as to the 

 advisibility of using foundation at all pos- 

 sible times, there is likely to be some diver- 

 sity of opinion, inasmuch, as results which 

 by some would be considered quite satisfac- 

 tory and profitable, would by others be 

 regarded as insulficient to justify the neces- 

 sary expense. 



Besides this, there are some other prob- 

 lems which have an important bearing upon 

 this matter, which need to be settled, or 

 better understood, before we can intelligent- 

 ly decide just how far it is profitable or un- 

 profitable to use foundation at all possible 

 times, and in all places. Perhaps first 

 among tliese will arise the question as to 

 whether the secretion of wax by bees is a 

 "physical necessity " over which they have 

 no control ; or, have they not the predomi- 

 nant volition to produce wax or not, accord- 

 ing to their will and i)leasure, as circum- 

 stances may require ? I am inclined to 

 favor the latter proposition ; and in support 

 thereof will refer to what every observing 

 bee keeper must have noticed, viz., that 

 when bees are supplied with ready built 

 empty combs, all they can occupy, tliey will 

 not build new comb, except in very rare 

 cases. Therefore the proposition does not 

 hold good that " comb building must of ne- 



cessity go hand in hand with honey gather- 

 ing" at all times. It is only when the comb 

 which they already have is being constantly 

 removed that they need to be continually 

 building new. With these facts in view, it 

 seems to me that the idea that the secretion 

 of wax is a " physical necessity " over which 

 the bees have no control, is quite out of har- 

 mony with the economy of nature. 



Again, I believe that it is universally con- 

 ceded that in order to produce much wax, 

 the bees must of necessity consume an extra 

 quantity of honey over and above what would 

 otherwise be necessary. Now will anyone 

 presume to say that the bees cannot desist 

 from consuming this extra amount of honey 

 to be converted into wax, when they have no 

 use for the wax ? That they secrete wax to 

 some little extent involuntarily when hand- 

 ling large quantities of honey, there is not 

 much room for doubt, but all that would be 

 produced in this manner could readily be 

 utilized in drawing out foundation, and cap- 

 ping brood and honey, without allowing any 

 to go to waste. 



You intimate in your leader that bees will 

 work with increased zeal when allowed to 

 gratify their instinct for comb building. 

 But can it be proved that such is the case ? 

 If two new swarms of equal strength be 

 hived at the same time, and to one be given 

 drawn combs, to the other empty frames 

 with starters only, when there comes a honey 

 flow will not the one having the drawn comb 

 manifest equally as much zeal in gathering 

 honey as the dther one which has new combs 

 to build ? The former can send a much 

 larger force to the fields than the latter, and 

 therefore will be able to store a proportion- 

 ately greater quantity of honey. However 

 much it may gratify their instinct to indulge 

 in the operation of comb building, the fact 

 remains that it is a serious tax upon their 

 time and energies to have to build all new 

 combs wlierein to raise brood and store their 

 honey. We should l)ear in mind that they 

 do not ordinarily engage in comb building 

 to any considerable extent only when there 

 is honey to be gathered to put into it, unless 

 they are being fed. How then are we to 

 know whether it is their desire to build comb 

 or the opportunity to gather honey that in- 

 spires their zeal ? I am inclined to believe 

 that it is the latter. I fully agree with your 

 idea that the reason why more extracted 

 than comb honey can be produced is "be- 

 cause the bees are furnished with drawn 



