274 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' RE VIE,,, 



sections one half of which contained one 

 of the above three kinds and the other half 

 the Given foundation. The two kinds 

 were placed in the ca?e alternately without 

 separators, the presumtion being that those 

 containing foundation worked soonest and 

 most readily by the bees would at the finish 

 contain more honey than the others. 



For the beuetit of those who have not 

 perused the reports of former experiments 

 it should be said that it is deemed very 

 material to the success of an experiment of 

 this nature that the sections employed be 

 about nine to-the-foot or one and a third 

 inches wide, for the reason that this width 

 approximates very nearly the space which 

 the bees like best to allow each comb. To 

 be exact, this space is somewhat less than 

 the bees use on an average, but a departure 

 on that side is desirable, as appears if the 

 difficulty encountered by the use of sections 

 that are too wide is considered. I found by 

 actual trial if two kinds of foundation for 

 one of which the bees have a decided prefer- 

 ence are disposed in a case in alternate 

 sections, having each a width of nearly one 

 and three fourths inches, or seven-to-the- 

 foot, that at first the bees work out the 

 preferred foundation much more rapidly 

 than they do the other and continue to do 

 so until the resulting comb is of the thick- 

 ness which the bees prefer and must have 

 for use in the production of brood, and 

 that when this point is reached their work 

 on it is, to some extent, suspended and an 

 effort made to bring up the thinner comb 

 from the poorer foundation, so that, with 

 such sections, the preferences of the bees 

 defeat the object of the experiment which 

 is to have them deposit honey in the two 

 classes of sections in proportion to the 

 estimation in which they hold the two kinds 

 of fonndation, uninfiuenced by their ideas 

 of propriety on other points. But the use 

 of sections nine-to-the-foot meets .he re- 

 quired condition, for, unless o e of the 

 foundations is execrable indeed, the comb 

 from the better one is not likely >o reach 

 the desired thickness before the available 

 space is all occupied. 



The results of the experiment app<3ar in 

 detail in the following table. 



In each case the Given foundation, as 

 generally heretofore, shows a superiority, 

 but in a greatly reduced degree. 



The sample from Hunt, whose foundation 

 has heretofore, in this kind of experiment, 



stood at or near the head loses its place, 

 though on the whole it compares more 

 favorably with the Given than in the test of 

 a year ago. 



The showing made by the New Process 

 foundation is very favorable indeed, a very 

 gratifying fact, since the increased facility 

 in manufacturing gained by the new method 

 will have a strong tendency to decrease the 

 price of the product. 



It is another matter for congratulation 

 that the samples of foundation used in the 

 present experiment approach uniformity 

 very much more nearly than ever before. 



Lapeek. Mich. Aug. 15, 1890. 



^i^>?V^J 



The Uniting of Colonies — Humane Bee- 

 keeping. 



L. A. ASPINWALL. 



TT is questionable 

 1 as to the advis- 

 ability of uniting 

 colonies, aside 

 from the timely 

 preparation for 

 winter. Uniting 

 in the spring is 

 wholly unprofita- 

 ble — in fact, with 

 the necessary prep- 

 aration in autumn, 

 all colonies should 

 winter successfully. The occasional loss of 

 a queen, however, during the winter will 

 leave some to be united with those of less 

 than the average strength. 



