1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



233 



HEADS OF GRAIN 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS 



A FRAME WITH A TOP-BAR IN TWO PIECES. 



For quite a number of years I have been using a 

 frame of my own invention, which I think beats any 

 thing on the market for ease of wiring, fastening 



end of the spool, might serve the same purpose. Aft- 

 er the wire is drawn through the frame and the end is 

 made fast, the frame is lifted from the board, slipping 

 the wires from the pegs, when the spans can be tight- 

 ened and the wire made fast at the end next the spool 

 and then cut off without waste. 

 Elyria. Ohio. W. J. M. 



NAILS BENT IN THE FORM OF HOOKS INSTEAD OF 

 HOLES IN THE END-BARS. 



Nearly every one runs the wire through the end- 

 bars. This is surely a laborious manner in which to 

 get the wire in the frame. I simply drive three slen- 

 der nails through each bar, and with round-nosed 

 pliers turn up the points on which to hook the wire. 

 This makes five wires in the center, where the most 

 sagging occurs. The wires must be drawn tight. If 

 left slack, of course the foundation will sag. You will 

 observe that the wires are too close together for the 

 foundation to buckle. If not close enough, use four 



^^^^^^ 



foundation, and especially for replacing damaged 

 combs of foundation. The top-bar is in two pieces, the 

 loose piece being nailed lo the other after the founda- 

 tion is put in place. I formerly nailed the end-bars 

 also to this loose piece; but for replacing damaged 

 combs, etc., I find it more convenient, and just as 

 strong, if the end-bars are not nailed to the movable 

 piece. The double wiring, as in the illustration, shows 

 how easily and quickly either horizontal or vertical 

 wiring may be done. 

 Pittsfleld, N. Y. Geo. A. HUMPERT. 



PREVENTING THE WIRE FROM CUTTING INTO THE END- 

 BARS. 



Wire is somewhat springy; and as soon as a short 

 length is removed from the spool it forms loops. The 

 loops are liable to make kinks, and these break when 

 the wire is drawn tight. When the end on the spool is 

 released, the wire promptly unwinds enough so that 



''•--{- 



several dozen turns drop off the lower end of the spool 

 because of this same springiness or elasticity. Once 

 off the spool, the tangle begins. 



Drawing the wire through the frames also has its 

 difficulty, as the wire cuts into the wood of the end 

 pieces where it turns the corner to go from one hole 

 to another. A roller at the end of each span of wire 

 just outside the end pieces, and tangent to a line drawn 

 through the holes, was the apparent remedy; but while 

 reflecting on how to make the rollers I remembered 

 how easily the wire slides around a broom handle 

 which I had used for straightening short bent pieces 

 of wire, and found this a good substitute for rollers, 

 when arranged on a board as shown in the attached 

 plan. 



The board is 2 feet long and 13 inches wide, under- 

 neath which are fastened two three-inch cleats which 

 serve to stiffen the board and hold the pegs firmly. 

 The pegs are of maple, and project IK inches above the 

 surface of the board. The two rows are 17 inches 

 apart, and the pegs are shaved off on the inside so as 

 to hold the frame more firmly. A three-inch nail is 

 used for a spindle for the spool, and four one-inch fin- 

 ishing nails, driven in the lower flange of the spool, 

 keep the wire from dropping off and catching on the 

 spindle. A three-inch disk of tin, nailed on the lower 



nails instead of three. I hear some say 

 that this is too slow — takes too much 

 time and labor. I will venture this as- 

 sertion: I can drive and bend the nails, 

 run the wire on the hooks, fasten the 

 foundation with melted wax and brush, 

 twice as fast as I can by running the 

 wire through three or four holes in each 

 end-bar; the imbedding of the wires, 

 only a trifle more. The wire from top 

 to bottom hook is for a brace or stay to 

 overcome the tendency of the other two 

 or three diagonal wires drawing the 

 frame out of square. With this the 

 frame is held rigidly square by using a 

 brace in the frame when drawing the 

 wires. It takes but little more wire 

 than the usual way. None is lost run- 

 ning up and down the end-bars. All is 

 in use, and no foundation will sag or 

 buckle if the wires are tight. 



Corona, Cal. H. M. JAMESON. 



[See answer to C. Pennock on next page.— Ed.] 



HORIZONTAL WIRES SUPPORTED BY ONE VERTICAL 

 WIRE. 



My combs are perfect. There is no sagging of the 

 foundation or bottom-bar, and no drone-cells. I punch 



w 



a hole in the center of the top and bottom bar; run'a 

 wire through; fasten wire with nail the same as hori- 

 zontal wires are fastened; give one turn around each 

 horizontal wire, then run it through the bottom-bar. 



