76 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



book must always be present. Then there will be smok- 

 ers, hive-tools, hammer, cages, matches (although 

 matches are always kept covered with the fuel in each 

 apiary), saltpeter-rags, nails, and any other light objects 

 that may happen to be needed at any particular time. Of 

 course there will be heavier articles, not convenient to 

 carry from one apiary to another, and each apiary must 

 have its own, as a hive with a closed entrance and a rob- 

 ber-cloth, ready to contain at any time frames of brood 

 or honey safe from robbers. Generally, however, there 

 will be no need to be so careful against robbers, and the 

 one or two frames lifted out of a hive will be leaned 

 up against it, taking pains to stand any frame where the 

 hot rays of the sun may not strike too directly upon it, 

 and to stand it up straight enough so it will not sag with 

 its own weight. 



RESTING FRAME DIAGONALLY IN HIVE. 



With one frame out of the hive there will be room 

 enough for the rest to be moved about in the hive, and 

 returned to it as soon as examined. Sometimes when it 

 is desired to set a frame back in the hive very quickly, 

 or when a queen has been caught and is held in the 

 fingers, so that the frame must be handled by one hand, it 

 is convenient to set the frame in the hive resting diag- 

 onally, as shown in Fig. 36. The frame is lowered till 

 one end of the top-bar rests upon one rabbet, and then 

 the bottom-bar is allowed to rest upon the other rabbet. 



Perhaps oftener, however, I use both hands to handle 

 a frame, even while holding a queen in one hand. While 

 searching for the queen the frame is held in both hands, 

 and as soon as she is seen the end of the frame held by 

 the right hand is rested upon the hive, the right hand 

 catches the queen, and she is then allowed to run upon 

 the leg of my trousers, upon the thigh (it is an exceed- 

 ingly rare thing that a laying queen will offer to fly), 



