STRAW DEPRIVING HIVES. 59 
during their operations, to keep the insects shut in 
to the utmost possible extent. The confidence gained 
from a very little experience of the subduing etfticacy 
of smoke, will convince the bee-keeper that such pre- 
cautions are not necessary; but nevertheless we shall 
adhere in this edition to our author’s practice of 
adverting to the use of these boards. It must be 
understood, also, that single adapters are often really 
indispensable, as when a crown-board is made with- 
out openings, and is intended to be wholly removed 
when the super is applied—the adapter being then 
probably perforated all over with holes just large 
enough to admit a working bee, but too small for 
either the queen or the drones—and there is also 
the case in which it is desired to apply a bell-glass 
to a hive with a straw top. In this last instance, 
as nothing but straw will stand properly upon straw, 
this top must first be freely covered with clay, dough, 
or any other kind of luting, or even with the tea 
lead just mentioned, and then an adapter must be 
placed upon it; indeed, whatever kind of super is 
employed, it is far better to place an adapter over 
a straw crown, for as, in default of frames, the 
combs are sure to be worked down to the crown 
itself and attached thereto, it is impossible to separate 
them neatly from the uneven surface of the straw 
by the usual process of passing a wire between. 
If three glasses are applied, then, if the ‘‘ cautious” 
system is followed, there must be a separate small 
adapter to each. On the removal of a full super, its 
slide is first closed, and then its adapter is detached 
from the crown-board and taken off with the glass as 
