1906 



GLEANING^ (X BEE CULTT'RE 



817 



FIG. 3. — THE TRANSFERRING-TABLE UNDER THE APPLE-TREE. 



rest on. One side of the super should have, 

 near the top and bottom, double- pointed 

 tacks driven in so as to engage the edges of 

 the sections, keeping them just i\ inch from 

 sides of super; also one side of the following 

 board should have at top and bottom double- 

 pointed tacks or a thin strip of wood i\ thick 

 to keep the section edges just that distance 

 from the board. I have used wedges for 

 pressing the following- board against the 

 sections, and also forcing the sections and 

 separators closely together. There is little 

 fault to find with wedges; but if I were to 

 begin anew I think I should prefer springs 

 if they were not too expensive. 



From the size of the super you see I would 

 use a section 4X5 outside, and 1| thick, and 

 plain. There are several reasons for using 

 a clamp or super and section of these sizes. 

 The super would just fit the top of the 

 brood- chamber, and fit the sections. The 

 sections could go in either lengthwise or 

 crosswise, if preferred. 



I should prefer the 4x5xl| plain, as, with 

 a carton, it would average an exact pound; 

 is very popular in some markets; cuts up 

 better on the table than a thicker one, and 

 will, I have re ison to believe, be filled quick- 

 er than a thicker one. I have 200 supers 

 holding 28 sections 4^X5X1^ plain, making 

 a very thin comb, as sections go; and I am 

 unable to see but bees fill such a clamp as 

 soon as one holding but 24 sections of the 

 same capacity, but | inch thicker. 



For some reason bees will fill a thin sec- 

 tion, and seal it quicker, than a thick one of 

 the same weight. A tall section also gives 

 room for a larger number on top of the 

 hive, which is often an advantage. 



I would use a slatted separator with pro- 

 jections on the sides to engage the edges of 

 the sections, and so keep the sections just a 

 bee- space from the separator, thus giving 

 the bees a chance to pass along the sides of 

 the combs and edges of sections from one of 

 the supers to the other. So well has this 

 pleased me that I have, within a few years, 

 thrown aside all my old separators, and made 

 over all my old supers, and made new sep- 

 arators for some 1200 supers, so I could use a 

 four- beeway section on all, without regard to 

 expense, and have no reason to regret it. 



Over the hive comes a roof, and I now 

 think I should have it covered with tin, or 

 sheet iron, painted on both sides, and pro- 

 jecting a little beyond the rest of the hive. 

 I mean that the edges of the roof should 

 project, not the edges of tin alone. 



I shall include in my fixtures an escape- 

 board i inch think. On the upper side it 

 should be around the edges i inch thicker to 

 make a bee-space under the super. It 

 should be large enough to cover the top of 

 the brood-chamber, and have a Porter bee- 

 escape in the center of it. Enough of them 

 should be made so as to be able to take off 

 supers rapidly, and free them from bees. 



I would also have a good supply of honey- 



