They are nailed up with the shorter pieces nailed on the 
ends of the longer ones, and the outside dimensions of the 
resulting stand are 40 inches'by 474 inches. To make the ° 
floor of the wintering box, first lay down three pieces each 
2 inches square by 40 inches long; then nail on these % inch 
matched lumber, cut 45} inches long, making the floor 40 
inches by 454 inches. It will be seen that when this floor is 
laid on the stand it comes just even with it at the sides, but 
is § inch short of it at each end. In other words, the out- 
side of the stand and the wintering box are the same, 
making a smooth surface from the ground up, where the 
bees have their flight holes, but the stand is made narrower 
as a convenient way of supporting the cross cleats of the 
floor. After the stand, with the floor in place, is teveiled up 
with a spirit level using scraps of thin lumber under the 
corners, a board % inch by 4 inches by 36 inches is laid flat 
across the middie of the floor to support the backs of the 
_ four hives giving them a tilt forward toward the ends of the 
“ box. The four hives are placed close together with the four 
corners meeting at the exact centre of the floor. The front. 
end’ of the bottom-boards will then come just about to the 
edges of the floor and should almost touch the ends of the 
box when it is put in place. 
The wintering box is made 244 inches deep inside so the 
hives can be supered, if necessary, before they are unpacked. 
‘As the outside dimensions of the floor are 40 inches by 454 
inches, these will be the inside dimensions of the box whose. 
-sides and ends must project down over the floor about 2% 
inches to. cover it and its cross supports and leave no open- 
ing between it and the stand. Each side and each end of 
the box will need an upright at each end of it, 8 inch by 2 
inches by 24% inches, and if these are all placed % inch back 
from the end of the lumber a locked joint will be formed 
which will not admit dampness (See Fig. 3). The sides of 
the box are 454 inches long by 27% inches high. The ends: 
would be 40 inches plus % inch at‘each end to cover the ends 
of the sides against which they are clamped or nailed, or 413 
inches long by 27% inches high, When these two sides and 
two ends are made up and placed together, the outside 
dimensions of the box thus formed will be 41 inches by 
47} inches.. 
After the ends are made up the entrance holes should 
be cut. These must come opposite the hive entrances and 
should be as deep as the bridge will allow but need not be 
the full width. They are placed as far apart as possible to 
prevent bees mixing when they fly. Measuring 6 inches in 
7 
