152 SUPER- AND NADIR-HIVING 



assistant hold firmly in their places the two boxes, 

 or the inferior box and the middle board, the di- 

 vider may be withdrawn, and thus a communi- 

 cation between the two boxes will immediately be 

 effected, without the escape, and perhaps without 

 the destruction, of a single bee. 



When I have had no assistant near me, upon 

 whose steadiness I could rely, at the time of with- 

 drawing the divider, I have fixed a piece of double 

 quarter with one of its ends against the inferior 

 box, and the other against the wall opposite to it, 

 and have thus effectually prevented the box from 

 moving, whilst with one hand I held firmly the 

 middle board, and drew out the divider with the 

 other. My readers are to suppose me operating 

 in a bee-house, for in an out-door apiary an as- 

 sistant will always be required, whenever any im- 

 portant operation is to be performed. 



Nadir-hiving is accomplished by introducing 

 both dividers between the floor board and the box 

 or hive which it supports, the first with its turned 

 edge downwards, and the other upon it with its 

 turned edge upwards. The box or boxes are 

 then to be removed on one side or upon a table, 

 together with the upper plate or divider, which 

 will form a temporary floor to the box, while the 

 lower plate covers the wooden floor and those few 

 bees that may be lodged upon it. 



In removing the box or boxes for nadir-hiving, 



