44 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



nails. These may be pushed into the pieces of comb at intervals 

 through holes made in the end or bottom bars. The nails may be 

 removed afterwards or left in at will. Frames of comb, thus made 

 up are patchy at best and after once having served their purpose 

 they should be removed to the top story as extracting combs and 

 gradually culled out for the wax extractor, and new combs built 

 on foundation supplied to take their places in the brood chamber. 



These frames of foundation are prepared in the following man- 

 ner : The frames are placed upon a board arranged with another 

 board above just the size of the inner dimensions of the frame, so 

 that the frame will just fit down over it. This board should be just 

 as thick as half the width of the end bars of the frame. If the frames 

 ?re Hoffman self spacers, it will be necessary to slot the lower board 

 to let the frame down flat, giving a place for the extra widened 

 portion of the end bar. 



With the frame in position four awl holes may be bored in 

 each end at regular intervals, the first about an inch from the top 

 bar and the last about the same distance from the bottom bar. These 

 holes should be centered on the end bars. If, when the hives are 

 purchased, the frames be ordered ready for wiring, they will come 

 already pierced and a spool of wire included without extra charge. 

 With the frame still on the form a tack may be placed near the top 

 hole and one near the bottom hole. Then weaving the wire through, 

 having placed the spool so it will revolve upon a peg or spike in 

 the bench, the end of the wire may be secured around the lower 

 tack and the tack driven in. Then the wire can be stretched up and, 

 finally, by twisting the spool, be brought taught, the form prevent- 

 ing the frame from being pulled out of true. Then, after fastening 

 the wire about the upper tack and driving this tack in, the wire may 

 be twisted off and the frame removed ready for the foundation. 



For fastening in the foundation, there are several styles of top 

 bars. One formerly used was a bar with a single groove down the 

 center. The foundation was inserted in the groove and then melted 

 wax poured down it and allowed to cool. Another way was to 

 have a beveled top bar in which the foundation was secured by be- 

 ing pressed into the wood by rubbing with the handle of a case 

 knife wet so that the wax would not adhere to it. Care should be 

 taken in this method not to wet the top bar, as the wax will not 

 adhere to a wet surface. Still another form is that of a hollowed 



