MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



137 



and even comb, between it and the frames, and this looks 

 bad. A little care will make this a small objection. Mr. 

 Langstroth used a board above the frames, which Mr. Heddon 

 uses even now. Perhaps Mr. Heddon never used the quilts. 

 Perhaps his love of order and neatness caused him to discard 

 them. Still, I feel to thank Mr. A. I. Eoot for calling my 

 attention to quilts. 



DIVISION BOARD. 



A close-fitting division board (Fig. 38) for contracting the 

 chamber, is very important, and though unappreciated by 

 many excellent apiarists, still no hive is complete without it. 



Fig. 38. 



I find it especially valuable in winter and spring, and useful 

 at all seasons. This is made the same form as the frames, 

 though all below the top-bar — which consists of a strip thir- 

 teen inches long by one inch by three-eighths, and is nailed 

 firmly to the board below — is a solid inch board (Fig. 38, 

 b), which is exactly one foot square, so that it fits closely to 

 the inside of the hive. If desired, the edges (Fig. 38, c, c) 

 can be beveled, as seen in the figure. When this is inserted 

 in the hive it entirely separates the chamber into two chambers, 

 so that an insect much smaller than a bee could not pass 

 from the one to the other. Mr. A. I. Koot makes one of 

 cloth, chaff, etc. Yet, I think few apiarists would bother 

 with so much machinery. Mr. W. L. Porter, Secretary of 

 the Michigan Association, makes the board a little loose, 

 and then inserts a rubber strip in a groove sawed in the edges. 

 This keeps the board. snug, and makes its insertion easy, even 

 though heat may shrink or damp may swell" either the board 

 or hive. I have not tried this, but like the suggestion. 



