I'ORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 47 



two pieces 225^x2, one piece 123^x2, and three pieces 

 13%X7K- When so desired, the bottom-board is fastened 

 to the hive by means of four staples i>^ inches wide, 

 with points J4 inch long (Fig. 11). 



With such a bottom-board there is a space two 

 inches deep under the bottom-bars, a very nice thing in 

 winter, and at any time when there is no danger of bees 

 building down, but quite too deep for harvest-time. For- 

 merly I made the bottom-board reversible, reversing it 

 in summer so as to use the shallow side, but latterly I 

 prefer to iise a false bottom to reduce the space in sum- 

 mer. 



It is much easirer to shove in this false bottom or to 

 take it out than it is to lift the hive from its place to 

 reverse the bottom-board. The false bottom is made 

 on the same general principle as the bottom-board, only 

 on a smaller scale and very much lighter. The outside 

 dimensions are i8j4xiixij4. It is constructed of two 

 pieces i854xiJ4x/^ ; one piece loxi^i^x^^; two pieces 



At Fig. 12 are seen two bottom-boards, the one at 

 the right being empty as in winter, and the one at the left 

 having in it a false bottom, as in summer. When in 

 use, the closed end of the false bottom is toward the 

 entrance. In an emergency, two dummies or a piece of 

 board may be used in place of the false bottom. 



ENTRANCE-BLOCK. 



Now for that entrance-block (Fig. 1.3). It is very 

 simple, made of common lumber, 12 inches long, 3 inches 

 wide, with a notch i inch square cut out of one corner. 

 It is put at the entrance against the frOnt of the hive, 

 a little wedge is crowded into the % inch space at one 

 end, and there you are with an entrance one inch square. 

 Hives for the out-apiaries may not have entrances con- 

 tracted till they are hauled. 



