and its Economic Management. 11 



temperature, over a small paraffin stove ; if too hot it will weaken 

 the sheet, and if too cool it will not hold the foundation in place. 



Another Plan 



is to have the top bar split nearly its whole length to receive the 

 sheet of foundation, when two or three nails or screws are driven 

 through, holding the two halves together with the impressed wax 

 between. There is little economy in so weakening and disfiguring 

 one's furniture permanently simply for this preliminary operation, 

 while the open cut along the top of the bar is the very best 

 harbour for the wax moth, as the covering over the frames adds 

 still further protection to such crevices. 



Still another step has been made towards complication in that 

 a frame has been brought forward with both top and bottom bars 

 split throughout their entire length ; thus we have six pieces to 

 handle instead of four, for no apparent benefit whatever. In the 

 first place it was considered that the foundation being simply 

 inserted between the two halves, the latter upon being pressed 

 together, would be held sufficiently tight in the dovetail working 

 on the side bars at each end that the sheet could not fall. 

 Already the usual nails are advised for fastening together the two 

 sections of the top bar ; but it should have been evident in the 

 first instance that while a sheet of wax would be held firmly, even 

 if weighted while cold, as soon as placed in the heat of the hive 

 with the bees clustering upon it, the whole would come down, 

 unless the bars were secured at the centre where bulging 

 would naturally occur. 



As a matter of fact I have had no difficulty in getting combs 

 built out perfectly true from foundation simply waxed to the top 

 bars ; but the frames must be placed closer together, so that many 

 bees do not cluster upon any one sheet. Through many apiarists 

 failing at this point, foundation for brood frames has been made 

 much too heavy, being only four or five sheets (standard) to the 

 pound ; whereas I have no trouble in working full sheets at eight 

 feet to the pound ; indeed ten feet to the pound have been 

 frequently worked without sagging. 



