83 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



the thin metal edges upon which the top-bars rest, the two end- 

 staples, and the f ournail-heads. The same spacing is in use in 

 other frames, only staples are used for side-spacing instead 

 of nails. The staples do not seem quite so substantial, and there 

 is more danger, when the frames are crowded hard together, 

 ■ that the staples may be driven in deeper, or that the head of 

 the staple may dig into the adjoining wood. 



The top-bar and end-bar being 1% wide, and the spacing 

 of the nails V4 inch, the frames are spaced just 1% from center 

 to center. It is just possible that a little wider spacing than 

 1% might be better, but 1%, is the general fashion, and so, far 

 as possible I like to adopt standard goods. I may be. asked, 

 then, why should I use a frame not regularly made by manu- 

 facturers. Possibly prejudice has a little to do in the case, but 

 I think the Miller frame enough better than anything I can 

 find listed, that I prefer to be out of fashion so long as I can 

 find nothing listed that is quite close to what I want. 



USING STANDARD GOODS. 



In general I think it is best to adopt standard goods. They 

 can be more cheaply made, and it is more convenient to get 

 them. It cost me no small sum to change my frames so little 

 as to*make them only % of an inch less in length and an eighth 

 of an inch more in depth, but I made the change, and made it 

 solely because my frames were not of standard size. Years ago 

 I changed from four-piece to one-piece sections solely because 

 I wanted to be in fashion, although I think I prefer the one- 

 piece now. 



WORKING FOR IMPROVEMENT. 



At the same time it is one's privilege — perhaps one's duty 

 to make some effort toward improvement, if one can only 

 keep from thinking that a thing is necessarily an improvement 

 because it is different from what has been. The things and 

 plans gotten up by me that were different from others would 

 make a pretty long list. Unfortunately, a full trial has in most 

 cases convinced me that my supposed improvements were no 



