44 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 
nails. These may be pushed into the pieces of comb at intervals 
through holes made in the end or bottom bars. The nails may be 
removed afterwards or left in at will. Frames of comb, thus made 
up are patchy at best and after once having served their purpose 
they should be removed to the top story as extracting combs and 
gradually culled out for the wax extractor, and new combs built 
on foundation supplied to take their places in the brood chamber. 
These frames of foundation are prepared in the following man- 
ner: The frames are placed upon a board arranged with another 
board above just the size of the inner dimensions of the frame, so 
that the frame will just fit down over it. This board should be just 
as thick as half the width of the end bars of the frame. If the frames 
are Hoffman self spacers, it will be necessary to slot the lower board 
to let the frame down flat, giving a place for the extra widened 
portion of the end bar. 
With the frame in position four awl holes may be bored in 
each end at regular intervals, the first about an inch from the top 
bar and the last about the same distance from the bottom bar. These 
holes should be centered on the end bars. If, when the hives are 
purchased, the frames be ordered ready for wiring, they will come 
already pierced and a spool of wire included without extra charge. 
With the frame still on the form a tack may be placed near the top 
hole and one near the bottom hole. Then weaving the wire through, 
having placed the spool so it will revolve upon a peg or spike in 
the bench, the end of the wire may be secured around the lower 
tack and the tack driven in. Then the wire can be stretched up and, 
finally, by twisting the spool, be brought taught, the form prevent- - 
ing the frame from being pulled out of true. Then, after fastening 
the wire about the upper tack and driving this tack in, the wire may 
be twisted off and the frame removed ready for the foundation. 
For fastening in the foundation, there are several styles of top 
bars. One formerly used was a bar with a single groove down the 
center. The foundation was inserted in the groove and then melted 
wax poured down it and allowed to cool. Another way was to 
have a beveled top bar in which the foundation was secured by be- 
ing pressed into the wood by rubbing with the handle of a case 
knife wet so that the wax would not adhere to it. Care should be 
taken in this method not to wet the top bar, as the wax will not 
adhere to a wet surface. Still another form is that of a hollowed 
