196 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



Take a board 16% inches long and 11 inches wide. Take 

 boards 12 inches long and % inch thick and nail them across 

 the first board so as to cover just its length, and project V2 inch 

 at each side. This makes a surface 16% x 12 inches. If this 

 board be now put inside an empty T-super, and the T-super 

 raised, it will be seen that the board will easily drop through 

 the super, except where it is upheld by the three T-tin supports 

 on each side. Places must be cut out of the board so that the 

 supports will present no hindrance. In order to make these 

 places abundantly large, I cut them 1% x % inch. When cut 

 out, the measure will be, from the corner of the board to the 

 first place or hole, .314 inches, then II/2 inches for the hole, then 

 2 13-16 inches to the next hole. Measure the same way from 

 each of the other three corners, and you will have on each side 

 three holes that will allow the supports of the T-tins to pass 

 through without obstruction. 



Occasionally, after pushing sections out with the push- 

 board, I found at the lower part of some of the central sections 

 some of the cells looking watery, showing that the push-board 

 had crowded down a little too hard at the central part. To 

 obviate that I put a litle cleat about 14 inch wide and I's thick 

 at the outer edge of the board on all sides, giving the pressure 

 right where it is needed. If the outer part of the sections comes 

 out, there is no danger that the rest of the sections will not keep 

 company. Unfortunately, the picture does not contain the little 

 cleats. 



TAKING SECTIONS OUT OF SUPER. 



Being now ready to take out the unfinished sections, the 

 first (hint;' is to see whether there are any to take out. If a care- 

 ful inspection shows that all sections in a super are sealed down 

 to the bottom, it goes directly to the pile of finished sections. 

 If any sections are seen that are not finished, the super is placed 

 on the table, and the little sticks removed that were crowded 

 between the ends of the sections on top. A flat hive-cover, or 

 a board a little larger than the super, is placed upon it. Then 

 super and board are both turned upside down, the board bsing 

 firmly held on the super by one hand while reversing. If the 



