BEE MANUAL. 167 



being then raised, the front of the lever presses upon the edge 

 of the foundation, the rest, of which is at the same time to be 

 bent upwards to its proper position in the box ; the end of 

 the lever is then drawn backwards; with pressure, and the 

 foundation: remains fastened in its place. The machine should 



Fig. 81.— PARKER'S COMB-LEVER. 



be screwed to a table or bench, and the under edge of the lever 

 moistened with a little honey, to keep it from sticking to the 

 wax. 



WIRED FOUNDATION. 



In order to prevent sagging or bulging of the foundation, 

 owing to undue heat and the weight to which it is sometimes 

 exposed during the operation of comb building, and especially 

 to prevent breakage of the comb when thick honey is being 

 extracted, it has been found desirable to strengthen the septum 

 in some manner. Different substances, such as wood, vegetable 

 parchment, strong pa/per, linen, vulcanite, and wire, have been 

 tried as a base for foundation, but none of these, except the 

 last, have been, found to answer the purpose. Capt. Hether- 

 ington, of Cherry Valley, New York, was, I believe, the first to 

 use wired foundation, some few years ago, and already it is 

 coming into .very general use. Very thin wire is first secured 

 in. the frames, and afterwards imbedded in the foundation, 

 either by hand or by the Given press. The . following answer 

 to a correspondent, in the New Zealand and Australian Bee 

 Journal, expresses nearly all I have to say as to a choice between 

 hand and machine wiring : — "As soon as a demand sprang up 

 for wired foundation in America a Mr. Given invented a 



