June 15. 1911 



cluster of bees. One might suppose the sec- 

 tions would become dark; but when full 

 sheets of foundation are used in the brood- 

 chamber it is more of a myth than a reality. 

 The frames of drawn comb keep the queen 

 and jiollen out of the super. I have had the 

 bees work through five sujiers. If any one 

 else has tried this method I should like to 

 know results. 



Dodgeville, Wis., April 17. 



FASTENING FOUNDATION IN BROOD-FRAMES. 



The Melted-wax Plan Superior to the Groove-and- 



Wedge Top-bar; Shortened Top-bars 



Condemned. 



BY R. C. AIKIN. 



The short-top groove-and-wedge brood- 

 frame, in many instances, is abominable; 

 yet it is boomed as the "best ever." If one 

 hai)i)ens to have hives from two or more fac- 

 tories, or even from the same factory, but 

 made at different times in its history, there 

 is trouble because the frames drop down: 

 or the spacing-staple is not in far enough 

 for one hive or too far in for another. Old 

 hives that were made just a few years ago, 

 in which the thin edge stood up from the 

 rabbet, and warped out, even though origi- 

 nally true to length, will let the modern short 

 toi)-bar droj) tlown. The full-length top-l)ar 

 is more satisfactory than the short one, for 

 with it we can use hives that were not spe- 

 cially made for the franre; or when, from 

 any cause, there is 

 a variation in the 

 body length or in 

 the staple-spacing, 

 it makes no great 

 difference. 



It is, however, in 

 the matter of the 

 groove and wedge 

 for fastening foun- 

 dation that 1 must 

 make the hardest 

 kick. That plan is 

 a nuisance and a 

 useless expense. 

 We can take those 

 frames just as they 

 come from the fac- 

 tory, and let them 

 lie for weeks to sea- 

 son in this climate, 

 then i)ut them up, 

 fill with starters, 

 let them stand a 

 week or two, and 

 put bees on them, and then find, a few days 

 later, that many of the wedges have fallen 

 out and the foundation is down among the 

 bottom-bars, so that it is almost imi)ossible 

 to remove a frame without tearing every 

 thing to pieces. I find this a general com- 

 plaint, and many have taken to nailing 

 in the wedges to prevent their falling out. 



To fasten foundation or starters, prepare a 

 board with a handle, as shown in Fig. 1, 



373 



made of common %-inch lumber, and about 

 X inch shorter than the inside length of the 

 frame, and about {■ narrower than the in- 

 side width. Bevel slightly the upper edge 

 with the sharp edge the same side of the 

 board as the handle. The edge of the handle 

 should be beveled slightly so it will incline 

 downward to make a good easy hold for the 

 ends of the four fingers of the left hand, as 

 in Fig. 2. The nails should be driven at the 

 proper points in the edges, so that the board 

 will extend a little less than half way through 

 the frame. 



Fig. 2 shows the board reversed, a frame 

 on it. and a starter laid on the board, the 

 fingers of the left hand beingunder the cleat 

 and the thumb on tO]), reaching well over 

 and pressing down on the bottom-bar. A 

 pressure with the thumb merely enough to 

 hold or support the board and frame in po- 

 sition, and at an incline so that the wax from 

 the spoon will course down the top-bar and 

 against the foundation, holds the frame in 

 such a way that the top-bar is kept snug to 

 the two nails that support it on the form- 

 board. This not only makes the foundation 

 line to the center, but keeps the top-bar 

 from touching the form-board, so that if any 

 wax runs through between the foundation 

 and bar it does not touch the board, but will 

 drip ofT into a pan over which the frame is 

 held while the wax is poured on. You see 

 if the frame fits the board snug, and wax 

 runs between them, it waxes the two to- 

 gether. This is why the form-board is made 

 A inch narrower than the frame. 



To melt the wax, one can use a little oil- 

 stove, or even a common small burner lamj), 

 if a franie is made to set it into having a 

 wire or metal top so a tin can may be set 

 above the chimney. The wax should be 

 just hot enough to run well, but not so hot 

 as to melt the edge of the foundation or to 

 cool too slowly. If it is just barely liquid 

 and the room cool it will congeal almost as 

 fast as it touches the frame and foundation. 



