THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
:\7 
the queen cells and rear a queen, and , together, 
will form a strong nucleus which can he 
rapidly built up into a new colony and, pro- 
iwbly, store a good autumn surplus. This is 
far better than having the stock divided into 
two weak portions, neither in a position to store 
surplus honey while the first harvest is on. 
Original Contributions. 
FIXING FOUNDATION IN WIRED 
FRAMES BY MEANS OF A GALVANIC 
BATTERY. 
Sixes describing the method I have adopted 
for fixing foundation in wired frames by 
electricity, at a meeting of the Victorian 
Beekeepers’ Association last year, I have 
received numerous letters on the subject and 
many enquiries ; I have also been gratified to 
hear of its successful adoption by many bee- 
keepers, who have surmounted the little 
preliminary difficulties, and who express then- 
appreciation of the ultimate simplicity and 
perfect success of the method ; I have also 
heard of many who have not succeeded, on 
account of not knowing the kind of battery 
necessary, nor the exact mode of manipulation. 
At the Beekeepers’ Association I shewed the 
members present the whole process, but the 
description given in the report of the meeting 
in the Australian Beekeepers' Journal was, 
perhaps, not sufficiently detailed to enable 
those not present at that meeting to clearly 
understand it. I, therefore, give the following 
detailed description of the method I adopt: — 
1st. I use a carbon and nine galvanic cell, 
excited by bichromate of potass solution. 
The carbon and zinc elements can easily be 
obtained wherever telegraph materials are 
sold ; the plates, both carbon and zinc, should 
have at least 20 to 25 square inches surface; 
that is, they should be 7 x 3 or 8 x -1 or any 
such dimensions. If, however, only smaller 
plates can be got, a double set should be 
obtained. It will be best to obtain the plates 
and cell already made up unless one under - 
stands the construction of a galvanic battery ; 
they cost in Melbourne from tis. to Ills, accord- 
ing to sire. The cells or jars should be of 
glass or hard earthenware, and should be as 
large as convenient ; at least a quart for the 
sized plates given above. ’The larger the 
vessel, the larger the quantity of exciting fluid, 
and the longer the battery will work without 
new fluid. 
The fluid is made thus : — For a qunrt of 
use 3) ozs. of bichromate of potash, 
which can be got at any druggist’s (the whole- 
side price is lid. per lb.). Put the bichromate 
into a stone jar and pour the requisite 
quantity of hot water on it and stir till it is 
dissolved. This fluid will keep any lime. 
Before using for the battery, add to every ten 
measures of the solution one measure of 
sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) ; that is, if ton 
or eleven teacups full of battery fluid is 
required to fill the cell, measure out ten tea- 
cups of the bichromate solution, and one tea- 
cup of sulphuric acid and stir them together. 
Bear in mind that sulphuric acid is very 
corrosive and burns the skin and destroys any 
clothing it comes in contact with, and also 
remember that the battery fluid is also 
damaging to clothes, for any splash or drop 
getting on linen, calico, or woollen stuff, 
produces a hole in a few days. Now, if the 
zinc and carbon elements are placed in the 
fluid so that about two-thirds or three-fourths 
their length is immersed, the galvanic current 
will be produced. Care must be taken that 
the plates are not immersed too deep or the 
connecting parts of the plates will lie corroded 
and spoilt. Belonging to the zinc plate is a 
binding screw, anil to the two carton plates 
another. To each of these screws fix a piece 
of copper wire about 2 feet in length. Wire 
covered with cotton, silk, or gutta pereha, 
with the ends laid bare, will l*e best, and the 
wires themselves should not be too fine, about 
No. 18 or No. 20 wire gauge is a good size ; 
these are called leading wires or leads. If 
when the plates are immersed we take a lead- 
ing wire in each hand ami rub one quickly across 
the other, an electric spark will be seen if all 
is right, and if we stretch a piece of the wire 
used for frames and place one of the leads on 
it, and the other about half an inch distant 
from it, the framiug wire will instantly 
become hot, even red hot, between the two 
leads, if the battery is in good order. The 
plates should only be immersed in the 
exciting fluid when actually required and 
should be taken out immediately the work is 
done, for if they are in the fluid long the 
strength of current diminishes greatly, but 
improves if the plates are taken out for a 
while and again immersed. The fact is the 
fluid gets weaker around about the plates very 
rapidly, but by removing and then replacing 
them the fluid gets mixed again and 
and hydrogen gas which collects on the plates 
and weakens their action is released and the 
battery works with fresh vigor when the 
plates are put in again. 
A pint or a quart of fluid will only do so 
much work, and, as it is running down or 
exhausting itself all the time the plates are 
in, whether you are using the current or not, 
it is economising to keep the plates out except 
during the actual time the current is required. 
A good way is to have two similar jars, one 
with the fluid and the other with clear water, 
and, as you take the plates from the fluid, 
place them in the water. By taking the 
precautions indicated here the battery and 
fluid will last a long time. The zincs gra- 
dually wear away, but the carbons are ever- 
lasting, so that the zincs have to be renewed 
from time to time. When the fluid is ex- 
hausted there will be only a feeble current 
