THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



393 



DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION IN BUILDING 

 A HOUSE-APIARY. 



Now that the cellar is built, the next 

 step is that of putting- on the sills. 

 Lay them in mortar having the center 

 of the sill come on the center of the 

 cellar wall. The corners should be 

 supported on gas pipe, having a 

 foundation below the frost line; and 

 inside of a larger piece of gas pipe 

 coming a little above the ground, to 

 which the dirt will freeze, and not 

 effect the main one, inside, supporting 

 the building. After putting in the joists 

 I lay the floor next, as it can be done 

 much quicker, and then I nail the stud- 

 ding right on the floor, putting them 

 two feet apart from center to center. 

 The studding is eight feet long, and 

 planed on three sides so that every 

 piece is alike; in fact, I plane all the 

 scantling going into the building, and 

 cut it all up in my shop at home with 

 a draw saw, which makes ever3' joint 

 square and every piece exactly alike. 

 This greatly facilitates the putting up 

 of a. frame, and makes it much nicer 

 than can possibly be done by hand. 

 Commence with a corner stud, and 

 nail on the lap-girts as you go. One 

 girt six inches from the floor, and the 

 other 54 inches, until you get clear 

 around. Of course, the studding must 

 be kept plumb. Next, put on a 2 x 4, 

 flatwise, for a plate. I nail the rafters 

 together, in pairs (having a collar 

 beam up six inches from the plate) be- 

 fore putting them up. I like a shingle 

 roof best, as it is a better protection 

 from heat and cold. Don't put on an}'^ 

 cornice, unless it is a mere skeleton, 

 as it makes too good a mouse-nest, 

 and occasionally harbors a squirrel. 

 I would have an eave-trough extended 

 as far as the cellar wall, to keep the 

 water from it. 



The best siding is cove coping. 

 This gives a smooth surface inside, 

 with only one thickness, which is ex- 

 actly what we need. The large win- 



dows in the gable ends are for venti- 

 lating the house in hot weather. They 

 are covered with wire cloth which ex- 

 tends above the windows, thus forming 

 a bee-escape. It is absolutely neces- 

 sary that every window and door have 

 a wire cloth bee-escape, so that the 

 bees which take wing when we are at 

 work can get out-doors, but not come 

 back inside. I do not glass these 

 large end windows, but have a light 

 door that I put in during the fall, and 

 then take it out when warm weather 

 returns. There are also two trap 

 doors in the house at my Wilcox yard, 

 about six feet from the ends, in the 

 center of the floor, for ventilation. 

 They are about 30 inches square, and 

 are taken out during warm weather 

 and a grating put in. These openings, 

 taking the air from so close to the 

 ground, help greatly to keep down 

 the temperature. It is simply a com- 

 fort to work in one of these houses on 

 a hot day, and note the different 

 action of the bees, also their greater 

 activity compared with those out in tne 

 sun. 



NO. 2, SHOWING SLIDE AND SHELVES 

 WITHOUT WIRE CLOTH BOTTOM. 



The entrance holes are 7-16 x8 inches, 

 and are cut through the siding on a 

 downward slant so that the rain can- 

 not beat in. The alighting boards are 

 6x14 inches in size, and are toe-nailed 

 on even with the lower edges of the en- 



