144 



THE PKACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



—though it ought not to be necessary with this operation, and 

 if unnecessary, it should be avoided (180). Roll off the sheet, 



and draw on the carbolic 

 cloth, as directed (177), 

 to drive the bees down, 

 and to avoid the risk of 

 crushing with the crate 

 any that may be on the 

 frame tops. With a piece 

 of glass, or other 

 scraper, clean off any 

 wax or propolis from the 

 frame tops. If ten or 

 more frames are in the 

 body box, the crate will 

 fit properly across the 

 frames ; if less than ten 

 frames are in, the crate 

 must be put on with its 

 sides running with the 

 frames ; or, either a piece 

 of wood 17" long X J" 

 thick, or, extra frames 

 covered with canvas or 

 ticking, must be added 

 beiiind the dummy, to 

 prevent the escape of 

 bees from under the crate. Take the crate in one hand and 

 hold it just above the carbolic cloth (without touching the 

 latter, lest the vaseline be rubbed off), and in the position 

 which it is to occupy, as illustrated : with the other hand draw 

 out the carbolic cloth, quickly setting the crate upon the 

 frames, and arrange the crate to fit so that no bees may escape 

 outside it. Put on the sheet and the riser : pack all round the 

 crate with warm stuff, or newspapers : spread a couple of 

 newspapers on the sheet : and add the quilts and roof. If 

 crates be not kept warm, the bees will be slow to take to them, 

 and their work in the sections will be indifferently performed. 

 For the proper filling of sections, it is necessary that the bees 

 should be well crowded into the crates ; and this points the 

 difficulty of working for perfect sections and at the same time 

 restraining swarming ; for, crowding, as we know, is an incite- 

 ment to swarming, and without a certain amount of crowding the 

 sections are likely to be built with pop holes at the corners, 

 and to be imperfectly drawn and fastened next the wood. Bees 

 are sometimes slow to take to the first crates at the beginning 

 of the season. They may be encouraged to start work above 



PUTTING ON A OHATE. 



