Foundation in Sections. 311 
stomachs of these idlers to appreciate the advantage of such 
a course. Bees may occasionally tear down worker-cells, 
and build drone-cells in their place; but such action, I 
believe, is not sufficiently extensive to ever cause anxiety. 
I am also certain that bees that have to secrete wax to form 
comb do less gathering. Wax secretion seems voluntary, 
and when rapid seems to require quiet and great consump- 
tion of food. If we make two artificial colonies equally 
strong, supply the one with combs, and withhold them 
from the other, we will find that this last sends less bees to 
the fields, while all the bees are more or less engaged in 
wax secretion. Thus the other colony gains much more 
rapidly in honey; first, because more bees are storing; sec- 
ond, because less food is consumed. This is undoubtedly 
the reason why extracted honey can be secured in greater 
abundance than can comb honey. 
It also pays remarkably well to use foundation in the 
sections. If we use very thin foundation—eleven or twelve 
feet to the pound—all talk about “the fish-bone” need not 
frighten any one. Foundation for the sections should be 
about twelve feet to the pound, while that for the brood 
chamber is better at seven feet. The foundation may or 
may not fill these sections. It is recommended by Dr. 
Miller and our Canadian friends, to put two pieces of foun- 
dation in each,section—an inch strip from the bottom, 
and a piece from the top to reach within one-eighth of an 
inch of the lower strip. Of course this takes time and 
care. When only one piece is used, I have had best suc- 
cess leaving a one-eighth inch space on sides and bottom. 
Many prefer to fasten to both top and bottom. Of course, 
foundation for the sections—in fact, all foundation—should 
only be made of nicest, cleanest wax. Only pure, clean, 
unbleached wax should be used in making foundation. 
We should be very careful not to put on the market any 
comb honey where the foundation has not been properly 
thinned by the bees. If we always use thin foundation 
there will be no trouble. 
Foundation can be fastened into the sections by means of 
melted wax. This method, however, is too slow; though 
my friend R. L. Taylor has an ingenious arrangement 
