20 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



HIVE TOOLS. 



For prying open hives, separating frames, etc., for scraping off wax 

 and propolis, some sort of a tool is needed. A stiff putty knife is 

 excellent, or one of the special tools sold for the purpose may be 

 obtained. 



COMB FOUNDATION. 



Comb foundation is beeswax made into thin sheets run through 

 embossing rolls which give it the shape of the midrib of honeycomb 

 with an outline of the cell walls. It is made in several thicknesses 

 and of worker size cells, drone comb foundation only being furnished 

 on special order. It is one of the devices which the_modern bee- 

 keeper cannot afford to do without. Drone comb has_about four 

 cells to the linear inch, while worker comb has five. (Fig. 17.) 



!l 



Drone Cells. FlQ. 17. Worker Cells. 



In brood frames use the lighter grades of "Brood foundation" and 

 wire the frames. 



In sections use the "light super" foundation until skilled in the 

 art. The "extra light" sometimes bothers the novice. Many per- 

 sons hesitate to use full sheets of foundation in the brood frames, 

 deeming the sixty to seventy cents necessary for each ten frames an 

 extravagance. It is real economy, and the wise bee-keeper will 

 never hesitate to make an expenditure in that line. 



COMBS. 



Good ccmbs are the corner-stone of good bee-keeping. The 

 appliances may be of the best, the bees the finest procurable, the 

 location ideal, the management correct, and yet if the combs are 

 poor all the rest is wasted. 



