32 THE BOOK OF BEE-KEEPINO. 



this tin place a small lamp. Next obtain an empty condensed 

 milk tin, and half fill it with water ; light the lamp, and place 

 this on top. Now melt a small portion of the wax to be 

 tested, and draw it into a capillary tube (a small glass tube, 

 which can be obtained at any instrument maker's for a nominal 

 sum) ; when cool, stop up each end, and tie it to the bulb of 

 the thermometer ; place them in the water, and wait until it 

 registers about 135° Fahr., then watch the capillary tube. The 

 very instant the wax turns transparent, and darkens, note what 

 the thermometer registers, as that will be the melting-point. 

 If pure, it ought not to register lower than 146° Fahr. ; you 

 must not be particular to one degree with such rough appliances. 



There are several makes or patterns of foundation, namely : 

 brood, super, natural base, flat-bottom, drone-size, and thick-wall, 

 and each maker naturally claims some advantage or other for 

 his own. There are several good makes on the market ; and 

 until the beginner has experimented with various kinds, and 

 formed his own opinion as to the best, he will be safe in 

 using what is known as "Weed" brood foundation, running 

 eight sheets to the pound. The old style of foundation, which 

 is much thicker, is going out of fashion, though some 

 conservative bee-keepers continue to use it. It should be 

 recollected that when the wax from melting old combs 

 has accumulated to two or three pounds, it can be sent 

 to the foundation maker to be sterilised and made again into 

 foundation. 



Super foundation is made of better-coloured wax, also thinner, 

 than brood, as it is used only in the sectional supers, while brood 

 is kept entirely for the body-box and shallow frame supers. 

 Sectional supers should be fitted up with the thinnest foundation, 

 which on no account should be made of white wax (usually 

 adulterated), but of yellow, with plenty of honey-like aroma to 

 it. When held up to the light it should be very clear ; if it 

 has a granular appearance after warming, there is almost sure 

 to be an adulterant present. Foundation over twelve months 

 old is brittle and hard. This can easily be remedied by slightly 

 warming it before a fire. 



54. Subjugators. — To beginners well knowing the natural 

 irritability of these insects, the most astonishing part of modern 

 bee-keeping is the ease with which an expert handles his 

 charges ; removing combs from the hives covered with bees, 

 taking up handfuls from skeps with bare hands, causing them to 

 perform an exodus from their hive into an empty one placed 

 near. It would be of no use trying thus to get the bees under 

 command unless means had been devised for reducing them into 

 a state of subjection. In order to accomplish this, the bees must 

 be frightened. Now, to frighten or intimidate a bee requires a 

 diflferent course of procedure to the ordinary method of subjugating 



