FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 77 



gnaw a passage under the foundation than with the double 

 bottom-bar without the melted wax. 



SPACING-NAILS. 



The side-spacing, which holds the frame at the proper 

 distance from its next neighbor, is accomplished by means of 

 common wire nails. These nails are 1^/4 inches long and rather 

 heavy, about 3-32 inch in thickness, with a head less than one- 

 fourth inch across. By means of a wooden gauge which allows 

 them to be driven only to a fixed depth, they are driven in to 

 such a depth that the head remains projecting out a fourth of 

 an inch. 



Each frame has four spacing-nails. A nail is driven into 

 each end of the top-bar on opposite sides, the nail being about 

 an inch and a half from the extreme end of the top-bar, and a 

 fourth of an inch from its upper surface. About two and a 

 fourth inches from the bottom of the frame a nail is driven into 

 each end-bar, these nails being also on opposite sides. Hold the 

 frame up before you in its natural position, each hand holding 

 one end of the top-bar, and the two nails at the right end will 

 be on the side from you, while the two nails at the left end will 

 be on the side nearest to you. 



The object of having the nails so heavy is so that they may 

 not be driven further into the wood when the frames are crowd- 

 ed hard together. Once in a great while the wood is split by 

 having so heavy a nail driven, and if such a nail could be 

 obtained it would be better to have a lighter nail with a head a 

 fourth of an inch thick, so that it could be driven automatically 

 to place without the need of a gauge, and without the possibil- 

 ity of being driven further in by any amount of crowding. 



I have never tried the metal spacers now used on what are 

 still called Hoffman frames, but it seems to me they must be an 

 immense improvement over the original Hoffman frames, such 

 as I had. I think, however, I should still prefer such a nail as 

 I have mentioned, because there is less opposing surface, and so 

 less chance for propolis. Such nails are in use in Europe. 



Objection has been made to metal spacers because they are 

 in the way of the uneapping-knife. But why should I, who do 

 not use an uncapping-knife, be denied the frame that is best for 



