The Townsend Bee Book 17 
siderable comb honey on the market that could be bought for one- 
third this price. It did not cost very much more per pound to 
produce the better grade, and it therefore is plainly evident which 
was the more profitable—the 11-cent or the 33-cent grade. 
PUTTING IN FULL SHEETS OF FOUNDATION 
A diamond-shaped sheet of foundation will not fit a square 
section. The piece should be cut with the corners perfectly square, 
and wide enough so that it will slip into the section without 
crowding. The piece should not be so deep as to come nearer 
than a plump quarter of an inch from the bottom of the sectiun 
when fastened in. The piece must hang true in the center of the 
section, or the best results can not be attained. The test comes 
when the section is squared up when placed in the super; for if it 
is diamond-shaped the foundation will be thrown over against one 
side when the sections are squared up, for one edge of the founda- 
tion striking the side of the section will throw the other lower 
corner against the separator. The section does not have to be 
very much out of true for this to take place, and such a section is 
a complete failure so far as comb honey is concerned, for it will 
never be salable when full. This is, perhaps, an extreme example, 
but nevertheless many sections are given to the bees in just this 
condition. 
One of my acquaintances kept a pair of shears near by; and 
when he found a full sheet of foundation striking the wood near 
the bottom he sprang the piece out far enough to clip off enough 
so that it could hang straight. This will prevent irregular combs, 
but it is a makeshift, and should be adopted only until one acquires 
the knack of putting up the sections and full sheets of foundation 
so that they are square in the first place. 
A section can not be filled too full of foundation at the sides, 
and good results will always be attained providing the sheet does 
not touch the wood. However, as mentioned before, there should 
be at least a 14-inch space between the bottom of the foundation 
and the bottom of the section. This is to allow for the sagging of 
the extra-thin foundation used. Foundation must not sag enough 
to touch the bottom of the section until quite well drawn out by 
the bees, or there will probably be trouble because of buckling, 
and buckling is just as bad as the condition which makes the 
foundation swing over to one side against the separator. 
If the beginner will bear in mind the fact that the foundation 
must hang true in the center of the section, no matter whether 
fastened by a hot plate or by melted wax, much of his trouble in 
