ONE YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 125 



lengthened out just one-eighth of an inch over the entire surface of 

 comb and on both sides, thus making it a little over one-fourth of an 

 inch thick. I am unable to understand why any bee-keeper can allow 

 his bees to build their own comb, or use mere narrow strips of foun- 

 dation as starters in the frames, and thus have crooked, unsightly 

 combs, and oversupply of drone comb, which is always followed by 

 an oversupply of drone bees. 



FIG. 20. Frames of comb foundation. 



It will be noticed that these frames are wired. Three strands of 

 fine wire are drawn through the frame, by piercing the end pieces in 

 the center and passing the wire through and fastening the same at 

 each end with a small tack. The wire must not be drawn up tight, 

 so as to sound like a violin string when you touch it. It must be 

 slack, scarcely drawn up straight, for if tight the comb will buckle, as 

 it stretches as the bees work it out ; so that the wire must be slack 

 enough to stretch with the comb when the bees are working it. The 

 top of the foundation is fastened to top bar of frame by pressure, the 

 wax adhering to the wood when pressed against it. The sheet of 

 foundation should not reach the bottom by half an inch, as it will 

 stretch nearly this much in working it. In No. 2 a mere trace of the 

 lower wire may be seen. The wire is imbedded in the comb by a wire 

 imbedder made for the purpose. 



FEEDING BEES. 



Various kinds of feeders are used for feeding bees sugar syrup. 

 I have tried almost everything that I have seen recommended, and 

 the above simple arrangement suits me better than any other. It is a 



