MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 209 



we will find that this last sends much fewer 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 ; second, because less 

 food is consumed. This is undoubtedly the reason why 

 extracted-honey can be secured in far greater abundance than 

 can comb-honey. 



The foundation if used the full depth of the frame, stretches 

 so that many cells are so enlarged as to be used for drone- 

 brood. This demands, if we use the sheets unstrengthened, 

 that they only be used as guides, not reaching more than one- 

 third of the depth of the frame. Strips not less than four 

 inches wide will not sag to do any harm. The foundation, 

 too, should not quite reach the sides of the frame, as by 

 ■expansion it is liable to warp and bend. Captain J. E. 

 Hetherington has invented a cure for this stretching and warp- 

 ing, by strengthening the foundation. To do this, he runs 

 several fine copper wires into the foundation as it passes 

 through the machine. 



I understand, too, that Mr. M. Metcalf, of this State, has a 

 similar device now being patented. 



This is a valuable suggestion, as it permits full-sized sheets 

 of foundation to be inserted in the frames. I presume that 

 very soon all worker-foundation will contain such wires. 



TO FASTEN THE FOUNDATION. 



In the thin sections, the foundation can best be fastened 

 Dy use of the melted wax. To accomplish this, I have used a 

 block made thus : Saw a fifteen-sixteenths inch board so that 

 it will just exactly fill a section. Screw this to a second 

 board, which is one-half inch broader each way, so that the 

 larger under board will project one-quarter of an inch each 

 side the top board. Now set the section over the top board, 

 place the foundation, cut a trifle shorter than the inside of the 

 section, within, close to the top and one side of the section, 

 and cause it to adhere by running on a little of the melted 

 wax, which, by use of a kerosene lamp or stove, may be kept 

 melted. If the basin is double-walled, with water in the 

 •outer chamber and wax in the inner, it is much safer, as then 

 the wax will never burn. 



