CHAPTER IV. 
THE PREPARATION OF FRAMES AND SECTIONS 
BEFORE new frames and sections can be used in 
the hives it is necessary that they should undergo 
a certain preparation, which consists in filling, or 
partially filling them with sheets of comb founda- 
tion. Comb foundation is pure beeswax rolled out 
into sheets of varying thickness and embossed with 
the imprint of worker cells, or more rarely. with 
the form of drone.cells. This is done by passing 
the sheets through heavy rollers, which embosses' 
and at the same time imparts an added toughness 
to them which is very useful in assisting the 
combs to withstand the high temperature of the 
hive without breaking down. The invention of 
this material has probably done more to revolu- 
tionize bee-keeping than any one thing, with the 
possible exception of the honey extractor. By 
its aid combs may, be obtained perfectly flat, built 
entirely of worker cells, and with a very great 
saving to the energy of the bees, which saving is’ 
that of the bee-keeper also. 
Before this material was brought out it was im- 
possible to obtain, consistently, combs of even fair 
c 33 
