FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 81 



a thing I experimented upon for a long time before reaching 

 success. The foundation is cut so as to make a close fit in 

 length, and the width is about half an inch more than the inside 

 depth of the frame. The frame is all complete except that one 

 of the two pieces of the bottom-bar is not yet nailed on. The 

 frame is laid on a board of the usual kind, which fits inside the 

 frame and has stops on the edges so that when foundation is 

 laid on the board it will lie centrally in the frame. The half of 

 the bottom-bar that is nailed on lies on the under side. The 

 foundation is put in place, and one edge is crowded into the 

 saw-kerf in the top-bar. Then the lacking half of the bottom- 

 bar is put in place, and a light nail at the middle is driven down 

 through both parts. Then the frame is raised and the ends of 

 the two halves of the bottom-bar are squeezed together so as to 

 pinch the foundation, and nailed there. Then the usual wedge 

 is wedged into the fine saw-kerf in the top-bar. 



As already said, I am not sure but it is just as well, or 

 better, to have the bottom-bar in one piece, with the foundation 

 cut to fit close upon it. 



FOUNDATION SPLINTS. 



Now we are ready for the important part. Little sticks or 

 splints about 1-16 of an inch square, and about % inch shorter 

 than the inside depth of the frame, are thrown into a square 

 shallow tin pan that contains hot beeswax. They will froth up 

 because of the moisture frying out of them. When the frothing 

 ceases, and the splints are saturated with wax, then they are 

 ready fdr use. The frame of foundation is laid on the board 

 as before; with a pair of plyers a splint is lifted out of the 

 wax (kept just hot enough over a gasoline-stove), and placed 

 upon thfe foundation so that the splint shall be perpendicular 

 when the frame iS hung in the hive. As fast as a splint is laid 

 in place, an assistant' immediately presses it down into the 

 foundation with the wetted edge of a board. ' About IV2 inches 

 from each end-bar is placed a splint, arid between these two 

 splints three others at equal distances (Fig. 31). When these 

 are built out they make beautiful combs, and the splints do not 

 seem to be at all in the way (Fig. 32). 



