FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 145 



of them will break in folding. The joints of these are wet in a 

 somewhat wholesale manner. If they are crated in such a way 

 B.R to be favorable for it, the whole crate of 500 are wet before 

 being taken from the original package, one side of the crate 

 being removed so as to expose the edges of the sections. If 

 the crate is not of the right kind for this, then the sections are 

 taken from the crate and put in the proper position in an empty 

 crate lying on one side with the top and one end removed. Of 

 course the sections do not lie flat, but on their edges, the grooves 

 of each tier corresponding with the grooves of the other tiers, 

 so that a small stream of water poured into the grooves at the 

 top will readily find its way clear through to the bottom. If 

 necessary the sections m.ust be wedged together, so there will be 

 no room for water to get between them only at the grooves. 



A pint funnel is specially prepared for the work. A 

 wooden plug is pushed in from above, projecting below two 

 inches or less. The lower end of the plug is whittled to a 

 point, and either by means of a bad fit or by means of a little 

 channel cut in one side of the plug, there is just leak enough so 

 that when the funnel is filled there will be a continuous fine 

 stream of water running from the point of the plug. • Holding 

 the funnel in one hand I pour into it boiling water from a tea- 

 kettle held in the other, at the same time holding the funnel 

 so that the stream from the point of the plug shall be directed 

 into the grooves, moving the funnel along just fast enough 

 so that the water shall be sure to go clear through to the bot- 

 tom. Cold water will not work well. 



A plan I like better is to have a vessel of hot water some- 

 what elevated, with a small rubber tube running from it, so 

 that the stream from it can easily be directed into the grooves. 

 A fountain syringe works nicely. 



Before wetting, the box of sections should be stood so that 

 the sections are on end, and then jolted heavily, so as to make 

 the grooves correspond the whole depth of the box. After the 

 sections are wet they swell immediately, making them fit too 

 tightly in the box to be gotten out without much difficulty. The 

 boards are torn off one end of the box, and after the sections 

 are taken out the boards are nailed on again, if it be desired to 

 preserve the box. 



