116 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
side of the dipping board. These sheets are 
passed through the rolling mill, after which 
they are trimmed to the regular sizes and packed 
in boxes. Some skill is required and especially 
in management of the wax. 
Makers of the various kinds of comb founda- 
tion extol their particular article, and often 
claim that bees will take to it and draw it out 
into cells quicker than any other ; but, according 
to our experience, more depends on the quality 
of the wax used and the general cleanness of the 
material rather than upon the exact form. 
It is generally supposed that the completed 
cells in a finished comb contain no more wax 
than existed in the foundation : and that, in 
section boxes where it is desirable to have the 
minimum amount of wax and the cells as thin 
as possible, the desired end is accomplished 
by using very thin foundation. For brood 
chambers or super frames for extracting, thick 
foundation is always used, and should never be 
thinner than 5 feet to the pound. 
In judging of comb foundation the first thing 
to notice is the character of the wax used, the 
appearance, colour, smell, and so forth. It 
should look fresh, clean, and have a fresh, sweet 
odour. Foundation that has been made a long 
time loses much of its fresh odour, but if other- 
wise good will be nearly as readily accepted by 
the bees as if freshly made. 
The wax should be tough and not easily 
broken by bending, unless in very cold weather. 
If warmed to about 65° Fahr. it should bend 
nearly double without fracture ; if it he brittle 
it shows the wax has been overheated, and will 
not be liked by the bees. 
The impressions should be sharp, and a good 
wall of wax be seen around each cell, giving 
enough material out of which the bees can draw 
out the cell walls to the required height. A 
gi >od deal of amateur made foundation has not a 
fail impression, either through bad setting of 
machine rollers, or using sheets cast too thin. 
Foundation is generally sold by the pound 
weight, cut into sheets the size of the Lang- 
stroth or Australian standard frame, or in 
narrow sheets the same length, but only half the 
width. It is usually cheaper to buy a large 
package of 10 or 20 pound, than by the single 
pound. As regards the colour of the wax used, 
it appears to make no difference, so long as it is 
clean and sweet, well impressed, and not too 
brittle. The cost of foundation prevents many 
from using it, but if one is keeping bees for 
profit it pays well to use it, for instead of 
keeping at liome and clustering for the forma- 
tion of wax, a process requiring the presence of 
a large part, of a colony, the bees will be out 
gathering honey, which will paj r over and over 
for cost of foundation. Some apiarists, studying 
economy as they imagine, are satisfied with 
using guides or starters in the frames, instead of 
full sheets. These may be as narrow as a 
quarter of an inch, or up to two inches, and 
serve as a guide for the bees to build combs 
parallel with and in the frames. For this 
purpose they do well enough, but we think it 
poor economy where honey produce is desired. 
Now about fixing foundations in frames. 
Frames are often made with a groove down the 
centre of the under surface of the top bar in 
which to insert the edge of the foundation, while 
some are made to be wired, and have no groove ; 
and, again, there are many devices for fixing 
foundation in frames which have been tried and 
abandoned for the methods we shall now 
describe. Let it be first understood that we 
recommend that frames should always be wired 
where full sheets of foundation are used. Where 
guides or starters only are used, the foundation 
should be cut in strips the desired width by means 
of a straight edge and a sharp knife, and if the 
weather be cold this should be done in a warm 
room, or the foundation itself should be slightly 
warmed, and it will be found to cut more easily 
If the knife be frequently dipped in hot water 
to both wet and warm it. Some melted wax 
will be required, and it should always be melted 
like glue over hot water ; indeed a small glue 
pot makes a very good melter. If wax is melted 
in a vessel directly over the fire it is likely to 
burn and spoil. Take a frame and carefully 
insert one of the strips of foundation in the 
groove. The strip should be shorter than the 
frame by nearly half ail inch, so as to not quite 
touch the side bars. If the groove is a little 
narrow for the thickness of the foundation, 
slightly warm the edge of the latter, and press 
it a little thinner with a piece of clean wood, or 
a warmed and wetted knife. When inserted 
evenly in the groove, hold the frame in the left 
hand with the starter uppermost, slanting both 
downwards and to the left, so that the under 
side of the top bar and the foundation will 
together form a kind of sloping channel : now 
with a spoon lift some melted wax out of 
the melter, and pour a little on to the upper 
part of the channel, and slope the frame till it 
will run quickty down the whole length and 
secure the foundation to the frame. Then 
reverse the frame, and do the same on the other 
side when the strip will be securely fastened to 
the frame. A little practice will soon enable 
one to do this rapidly with a minimum of wax, 
for it must not be slobbered on, but the wax 
should be so hot and the frame so held that it 
will run from one end to the other quickly 
before it can cool. If the wax be too cool it 
will set before it gets the length of the frame. 
Full sized sheets for shallow frames for supers 
can be fixed this way, but many prefer to wire 
these narrow super frames as they get better 
and straighter combs by so doing. 
( To he continued.) 
Jltffiknt Ike Ikephtg. 
A HANDBOOK FOR COTTAGERS. 
III. — Frame Hives. 
( Continued from page 102.) 
The description already given will, if followed, 
produce a good serviceable hive ; but there are 
t hree or our little refinements which those who 
