FIFTY YBAES AMONG THE BEES 205 



(Fig. 76) is used to push the sections out of the super. This 

 is made as follows: 



Take a board 16% inches long and 11 inches wide. Take 

 boards 12 inches long and % inch thick and nail them across 

 the first board so as to cover just its length, and project y-i 

 inch at each side. This makes a surface 16% x 12 inches. If 

 this board be now put inside an empty T super, and the T 

 super raised, it will be seen that the board will easily drop 

 through the super, except where it is upheld by the three T tin 

 supports on each side. Places must be cut out of the board so 

 that the supports will present no hindrance. In order to 

 make these places abundantly large, I cut them 1% x % inch. 

 When cut out, the measure will be, from the corner of the 

 board to the first place or hole, 3% incjhes, then 1^/2 inches for 

 the hole, then 213-16 inches to the next hole. Measure the 

 same way from each of the other three comers, and you will 

 have on each side three holes that will allow the supports of 

 the T tins to pass through without obstruction. 



Occasionally, after pushing sections out with the push- 

 board, I foimd at the lower part of some of the central sec- 

 tions some of the cells looking watery, showing that the push- 

 board had crowded down a little too hard at the central part. 

 To obviate that I put a little cleat about % inch wide and Vg 

 thick at the outer edge of the board on all sides, giving the 

 pressure right where it is needed. If the outer part of the 

 sections comes out, there is no danger that the rest of the 

 sections will not keep company. Unfortunately, the picture 

 does not contain the little cleats. 



TAKING SECTIONS OUT OF SUPER. 



Being now ready to take out the unfinished sections, the 

 first thing is to see whether there are any to take out. If a 

 careful inspection shows that all sections in a super are sealed 

 down to the bottom, it goes directly to the pile of finished sec- 

 tions. If any sections are seen that are not flnishedj the super 

 is placed on the table, and the little sticks removed that were 

 crowded between the ends of the sections on top. A flat hive- 

 cover, or a board a little larger than the super, is placed upon 

 it. Then super and board are both turned upside down, the 



