36 



attention to drone-comb. When there is too much of this — a patch as big as the palm 

 of one's hand is enough for any hive — it should be cut out, in the hope that it will be 

 replaced by worker-cells. The best way, however, is to start right by using full sheets 

 of foundation in each frame. The cost is about 10 cents a sheet, which is soon saved, 

 since there will be no army of drones eating up much more than that value in honey, 

 besides helping to arouse the swarming fever in the minds of the workers. 



The sheet of foundation is inserted into a narrow groove cut in the under-side of the 

 top bar, then held in position by a wedge alongside of it. This wedge must be driven 

 in very tight. 



In a fine specimen of a finished frame the comb is attached to the bottom bar and 

 the two end bars ; but, unfortunately, such fine examples are not as common as they 

 might be. Now, a comb filled with honey and brood weighs several pounds, so that 



Fig. 11). Embedding Wire in Foundation. 



there is quite a strain on the upper part; furthermore, if it be tilted from the perpen- 

 dicular it is apt to break and drop out of the frame. To hold it securely in position, the 

 frame is usually wired. For this purpose the end bars are pierced with three or four 

 holes, through which the thin M'ire ia strung. Of course, the wiring is done before the 

 foundation is put in. An unwired frame should never be run through the extractor. 



The operation of wiring is a very simple one. Where three wires are to be used, 

 begin by driving in half-way a couple of tacks, one beside a hole next the top bar, the 

 other alongside the hole nearest the bottom bar at the other end of the frame. These 

 tacks mark the posititm of the two ends of the wire when it is in place. We want the 

 wires to be so tightly strung that when the job is finished, if we pluck them as if playing 

 a harp, they will "siug." Tlie easiest way to secure the proper tightness is to nail a 

 couple of cleats on the bench, whose distance apart shall be a little less than the length 

 of the bottom Iwir, then spring the end bars between these two. Wiring drawn tight 



