FIFTY TEARS AMONG THE BEES 79 



and gloves of my assistant. The record book must always be 

 present. Then there will be smokers, 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 hea\-ier 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 robber-cloth, ready to 

 contain at any time frames of brood or honey safe from rob- 

 bers. Generally, however, there will be no need to be so care- 

 ful 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 di- 

 rectly upon it, and to stand it up straight enough so it will not 

 sag with its own weight.. 



BESTING 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 with one hand, it is convenient to set the frame in the 

 hive resting diagonally, as shown in Fig. 36. The frame is 

 lowered until 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 with one hand. While search- 

 ing 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 exceedingly rare thing that a laying queen will 

 offer to fly), and then I catch her in the hollow of my right 

 hand, holding her in the hollow formed by the three fingers, 

 while with the thumb and forefinger I am free to handle the 

 frame at leisure. 



