FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 129 



T SUPERS. 



The T supers I use are 12yg wide inside, just right 

 for 8-frame hives. Just why I adopted this size I do not 

 know, for at that time I was using 10-frame hives, and it 

 was a Httle awkward to use a super so much narrower 

 than the hive. But at least part of the time I used only 

 eight frames in the 10-frame hives. 



HOW TO MAKE A T SUPER. 



So many have asked how to make a T super that it 

 may be well to give directions here. It is a plain box 

 without top or bottom, the inside width being the same 

 as that of the hive, and the depth ^ inch more than the 

 depth of the sections to be used. Mine being for the 

 8-frame dovetailed hive, and for 4:% x 4^ sections, are 

 17^ inches long, inside measure, 12^ inches wide, and 

 41^ inches deep. If they were all to be made over again, 

 I think I might prefer to have them % inch shorter. 

 Unless the lumber is very thoroughly seasoned, the depth 

 should be a little more than ^ inch more than the depth 

 of the sections. To support the sections, three T tins 

 are needed, and there must be something to support these 

 T tins, 3 supports on each side. With your super lying 

 before you upside down, make a mark on the edge of 

 each side at the middle. Xow, half way between this 

 mark and each inside end of the super, make another 

 mark. Those 3 marks on each side will tell you where 

 the middle of each support is to be. Most of my supers 

 have for these 6 supports pieces of sheet iron l>^xl 

 inch. Lay the piece flat on the edge of the side of the 

 super, and fasten it by 2 nails about % inch from the 

 inside edge of the side of the super. As the wall of 

 the super is % thick, that will allow the support to pro- 

 ject inside about ^ inch, and the support is of course 1 

 inch wide. Some of the latest of my supers, instead of 

 these squares of sheet iron, have staples as supports. A 

 staple is driven in about ^ inch from the inside edge, 



