210 
COMB FOUNDATION 
ately, it is- possible for him to increase the 
capacity of his broocl-frames for holding 
brood by approximately 20 per cent by so 
staying or supporting the foundation (and, 
later on, the comb) so that it can not sag. 
This is accomplished by the use of full 
sheets of worker foundation wired in such 
a manner that stretching, either vertically 
or horizontally, is made impossible. 
HOW TO WIRE FRAMES. 
Almost every beekeeper has his own 
particular method which he considers much 
better than the other fellow’s. The result 
is that hundreds of different schemes have 
been shown in the bee journals, some of 
which are good, some of which are good 
but too expensive, some of which are bad, 
and some of which are not only poor but 
expensive. 
In the early 80’s, A. I. Root, in order 
to prevent stretching in all directions, used 
a series of vertical wires passing thru 
holes in the top and bottom bars, then 
two diagonal wires reaching from the two 
upper corners of the frame down to the 
middle of the bottom-bar. A metal bar 
reaching from this point to the top was 
then used to support the center of the top- 
bar, which Avas *4 inch thick and % wide. 
The completed frame is shown in the illus¬ 
tration. This plan of wiring gave excel¬ 
lent results and solid frames of brood go¬ 
ing clear to the top-bar. The objection 
to the method Avas the expense- and the ten¬ 
dency of the bees to leave a ridge next to 
the metal support on the middle. Many 
used these frames without any Avires what¬ 
ever. The top-bar would sag, and, worse 
than all, burr and brace combs would be 
built. See Frames, subhead thick-top 
FRAMES. 
Along in the ’90’s the whole beekeeping 
Avorld, in order to avoid burr and brace 
combs (see Frames), Avent over to a frame 
having a thick top-bar which, of course, 
could not sag. This made it impracticable 
to wire frames on the vertical plan. Hori¬ 
zontal Avires were then used, passing thru 
holes pierced in the end-bars, four holes 
Fig. 1.—This will prevent the sagging of the foun¬ 
dation, hut is altogether too expensive and compli¬ 
cated. It would not permit of electrical imbedding. 
to the end-bar. This method Avas generally 
used by most beekeepers, and continued on 
until 1918 and ’19, when it Avas discovered 
almost all at once that it did not prevent 
the elongation or distortion of the cells 
\ 
-- \ 
/ 
FIG.2 
/ \ 
Fig 2. — This will prevent sagging, but is too com¬ 
plicated. and will not admit of electrical imbedding. 
two or three inches below the top-bar. At¬ 
tention was directed to the fact that some 
beekeepers in California were using a 
combination of the four horizontal and 
diagonal Avires in a manner that would pre- 
Fig. 3.—The old-style horizontal wiring that was 
used for a good many years. It made nice beauti¬ 
ful combs, but did not prevent the distortion of the 
cells within two inches of the top-bar. 
