88 THE BEE-KEEPER’S MANUAL. 
A frame consists of an addition of three other sides 
to a bar, thus constituting it into an oblong honey- 
case, which reaches down almost 
a to the flosr-board, and serves to 
‘| confine the combs of honey or 
brood, both preserving — their 
straightucss and enabling them 
; with ease to be extracted at any 
time from the hive. The direc- 
tions given as to width and thickness of the bars are 
applicable also to the frames, but of course the length 
and number will in both cases depend upon the 
dimensions of the hive. As shown in the figure, cach 
frame has its upper ends projecting for the purpose of 
suspension. Its sides should come within about a 
quarter of an inch of the sides of the hive; if too 
close, the bees will fasten them with propolis, while if 
too far off, they will be apt to work additional comb in 
the interspaces. About the same room may be allowed 
between the lower bar and the floor-board. 
Various contrivances are adopted for inducing the 
bees to commence their combs evenly along the upper 
bars, but the simplest of these is to smear the lower 
edge of that bar with melted wax. Some persons take 
pieces of clean old worker comb, dip their edges in 
wax, and stick them to the bar. Yet again there can be 
purchased sheets of thin prepared wax for cutting into 
strips and attaching in a similar way, or else affixing 
in a slit formed for the purpose beneath or through 
the bar; while a modification of these sheets, known 
as “wax comb foundations,” furnishes the bees with 
ready-formed pyramidal bases for their cells. But all 
