I'ORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 41 



of the cellar is not very light work if it be done with a 

 rush ; and I want them all out as soon as possible so as 

 to have a gfood flig^ht before nigfht. If any should 

 be broupjht out too late to fly, it may turn cold before 

 the next morning-, when a lot of bees might fly out to 

 meet their death. To be sure, I could get along without 

 outside help by having one of the women-folks help me, 

 for my hives have cleats on each end, the cleats reaching 

 clear across the hive, so that a rope can be slipped over 

 them, and one can take hold of the rone at each side, 

 making the work not so very hard. Indeed, the two 

 women have sometimes rendered efficient service by tak- 

 ing a hive between them, as shown in Fig. 7. An endless 

 rope is used, making^ it the work of a very few seconds 

 to throw the rope over each end of the hive. The same 

 rope may be used to make the work lighter for a sin- 

 gle person (Fig. 8). But the rope is not so quickly 

 adjusted as when two persons use it. 



On the whole, it is better to have a strong man who 

 can pick up each hive without any ceremony, carry it 

 directly to its place and set it on its stand. In this work 

 the end-cleats of the hive serve an important purpose, for 

 the carrier can let the full weight of the hive come on his 

 forearms by having an arm under each cleat, each hand 

 lightly clasping the hive on the opposite side (Fig. 9). 



CELLAR AIRED BEFORE CARRYING. 



When it is warm enough to carry out bees, it will 

 be understood that the cellar is likely to become a good deal 

 warmer than 45 degrees, the temperature near which it is 

 desirable to keep the cellar throughout the winter. So if 

 carrying out is undertaken without any previous prepara- 

 tion, when the cellar-door is opened the bees will pour out 

 of the hives and out of the cellar-door, sailing about in 

 confusion, causing some loss and making the work of 

 carrying exceedingly unpleasant. This must be avoided ; 



