FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 47 



sliort distance inlo (he outer rim of the bottom-board. Tlie 

 three nails used to fasten the lath are finishing or wire casini; 

 nails 2% inches long or longer. Being so long and not driven 

 in very deep, one can generally pull them out with the fingers. 



At Fig. 16, in the middle of the cut, will be seen an 

 untranee-closer. above it being the lath to fasten the closer in 

 place. 



Before the hives are put on the wagon I make sure there is 

 no possible leak in any of them. This is hardly necessary where 

 everything is in good condition, but some of my covers and 

 bottom-boards are pretty old, and I must plug up any hole that 

 wnuld ])ossibly allow a bee to escape. 



When the Iiives are placed on their stands in the out-apiary, 

 the entrance-closers are removed, a little smoke being used if the 

 bees appear belligerent. Then the entrances are closed with the 

 entrance-blocks. 



I speak of taking bees to out-apiaries as' if I were still 

 keeping up out-apiaries. As a matter of fact, I have had no 

 bees away from the home apiary since 1909. That year I kept 

 bees in the Wilson apiary for the last time, having given up the 

 Hastings apiary some years before, and the Belden apiary still 

 earlier. But it is more convenient, sometimes, to speak of past 

 things as if ] resent, so the reader will please pardon any dis- 

 crepancy that may ajij-ear in this book at any time on that 

 account. 



NUMBERING HIVES. 



Numbers for hives are made in this way : Pieces of tin 

 4x!2i2 inclies have a small hole punched in each one, near the 

 edge, about midway of one of the longer sides. With %-inch 

 wire nails, nail them on the top of a wooden hive-cover or other 

 ]5lane surface. Then give them a couple of coats of white paint, 

 and, wben dry. pn( the numbers on them, from 1 upward, with 

 black paint. There is room to make figures large enough to be 

 seen distinctly at quite a distance. These tin tags are fastened 

 on the fronts of the hi^es with •5,4 or inch wire nails driven in 

 not vrry deep, making it easy lo change them at any time from 

 one hive to another. 



