THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 65 



eter, so fixed, with its face to the glass, that I can see enough of it 

 for my purpose, while it encroaches as little as possible on the surface 

 of the glass itself. In adjusting it, care must be taken that no space 

 occurs between the thermometer and the glass for the bees to pass ; 

 otherwise, they would quickly render it useless, by smearing it over 

 with propolis. Its use is very great, chiefly in summer, as an index 

 when to give additional room, which should always be supplied, and 

 ventilation afforded, if possible, when the internal heat raises the 

 quicksilver to 90° F. It has other advantages, also, which will quick- 

 ly manifest themselves to the scientific apiarian. To enable the ther- 

 mometer, in such a position, to tell at all correctly, the bees must be 

 compelled to work in a direction towards it, (not transversely across,) 

 otherwise there may be a difference of 10° or 15° at times between 

 the temperature of that corner and the centre of the hive. A bit of 

 worker comb, by way of a guide, affixed to two or more of the bars j 

 (or to the roof itself, if there be no bars,) will, as I said before, suffice 

 to give all the combs the proper direction. 



As to the matter of bottom hoards, I suggest to the curious and sci- 

 entific apiarian the following arrangement of them, by which he will 

 at once perceive how great the command of his bees which it will 

 give to him. I fear the directions for their construction will appear 

 to involve a somewhat complicated business — and some nicety in fit- 

 ting the parts together is certainly required — but a clever superinten- 

 dent and an adroit workman will soon prepare them satisfactorily.* 



Each colony of two boxes then should have its own pair of bottom 

 boards, which will afford facilities for weighing the hives at any time, 

 summer or winter, as well as for inspecting the condition of the inte- 

 rior during the breeding season, at any hour of the night or day. 

 These boards, (of which there is one to each box,) should be made of 

 two pieces of well-seasoned wood, each piece being five eighths of an 

 inch thick, glued and nailed together, the grain of .the wood in one 

 piece running at right angles to the grain of the other, as a precaution 

 against warping.. To strengthen them still further, they might be 

 clamped together with bands of iron at the corners, or framed, if pre- 



* It will be evident that a slight modification will simplify the process greatly ; as, for 

 instance, throwing the "two boards into one, and making it a fixture, as well as by the 

 omission of all the slides and their grooves. 

 D 



