THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL 
73 
throughout Australia and New Zealand, 
towards a combined Australian apicultural 
exhibit in the Centennial Exhibition in Mel- 
bourne next year. The president stated he 
thought there would be no difficulty in 
obtaining ample space for the purpose if an 
early application were made, but that it was 
desirable that the probabilities of co-operation 
from other colonies should be ascertained 
beforehand. He considered it would be much 
better for beekeepers to send their exhibits 
to be placed in one large apicultural section or 
court, rather than spread about as small 
exhibits in theirrespected colonial courts where 
it conld scarcely be expected they would 
command such attention as they would do if 
exhibited in one large group with each 
particular exhibit however, quite distinct. 
On the motion of Mr. Fullwood it was 
resolved that the Beekeepers’ Associations of 
New South Wales, South Australia, and 
Queensland be written to by our secretary, 
inviting them to co-operate and help in 
gathering together a representative Aus- 
tralian apicultural exhibit for the Melbourne 
Centennial Exhibition next year, and that 
each association be asked to take such steps in 
their respective colonies as may seem best to 
them to induce beekeepers and manufac- 
turers of beekeepers’ supplies to forward 
exhibits. 
A discussion also took place on the various 
methods of queen introduction, several 
members testifying to the unvaried success 
of the methods, and especially Alley’s, where 
queens were placed in the strange colony in a 
cage whose exit was stopped up with food 
made of a stiff paste of flour, sugar and honey. 
The bees quickly eat away the food, freeing 
the queen who was always well received. The 
president stated he had introduced seven 
virgin queens without losing one last season 
by this method. The question of the treat- 
ment of foul brood was also discussed; some 
of the members were of opinion that treatment 
was of little use unless the queens were 
changed for young ones known to be healthy. 
It was pointed out that phenol treatment 
appeared to be most successful when the 
combs affected were sprayed with the carbolic 
solution of Cheshire after scratching away 
cappings of both brood and honey. One 
member suggests a file brush of steel wire as a 
very suitable tool for scratching the cuppings 
off. 
Mr. L. Chambers exhibited some Hcddon’s 
honey boards and Alley’s miniature hives, 
shewing his method of dovetailing the parts of 
a hive together. 
Ihe meeting terminated soon after ten 
o clock. 
Hie best honoy weather is when it is warm 
and moist, when the uir is full of electricity 
and a storm upproaehing. 
©riginal Contributions. 
THE USE OE COMB FOUNDATION. 
Mr. Heddon and some other American bee- 
keepers state that if starters only are used in 
frames, they should never be more than f of 
an inch wide, or there will result crooked 
combs, either very narrow starters () of an 
inch) or full sheets. If 2 or 3 inch starters are 
used, they are sure to stretch on the free edge 
and buckle in aU directions, resulting in all 
the annoyances of crooked and uneven combs. 
For section boxes thin foundation must 
always be used, but whether we use simple 
starters or full sheets seems almost a matter 
of choice. We find small triangular starters 
do just as well as full sections, and we believe 
we get sections more evenly built this way. 
With the sections nearly full of foundation, 
we find it oftens buckles up and the section is 
filled very unevenly with holes through in 
several places, while sections with starters 
only are nice and evenly filled with cells an 
equal depth on both sides the septum. 
Correspondence. 
FASTENING FOUNDATION TO WIRED 
FRAMES. 
No. 49. — I think all who are interested in 
beekeeping, and have tried the new way of 
fastening foundation by electricity to wired 
frames, will feel thankful to Mr. Ellery for in- 
troducing it. It is so simple and so perfect 
that if once tried will give every satisfaction. 
I have been wiring some frames and filling 
with foundation, and it gave me much pleasure 
to see how well the work was done, and how 
firmly the wires became embedded in the wax. 
The old way could only press the wire into 
the foundation, while in the new the wires be- 
come heated by the electricity and gradually 
melt the wax, which after cooling is firmly set 
around the wires. I do not think we shaU 
succeed without wiring the frames, as the heat 
in the honey seasons is so great as to keep the 
combs quite soft, and the least jar with the 
weight of honey will cause them to break ; and 
in extracting, if the combs are exposed to the sun 
for a moment or two, it will break ; but if the 
frames are wired and the foundation firmly 
fixed, they can be used in any weathor and 
will stand rough handling. 
July 8, 1887. William Dabb. 
C ADRIAN BEES, &c. 
No. 50. — When last season my Cyprian bees 
arrived from Mr. Frank Benton, 1 was some- 
what disappointed, but now since one of the 
most disastrous winters to bee life in the 
Western district of Victoria 1ms passed away, 
I am enabled to say something in their favor 
