170 THE BEK-HIVES. 



the other hand, this bee-passage is not objectionable, since 

 heat, having a tendency to rise, does not escape through it. 

 The board is made one-fourth inch shorter than the inside 

 of the hive, and a strip of oil-cloth or enamel cloth, one and 

 a half inches wide, is tacked on, to fill the spaces at each 

 end. In this way, the board fits well against the ends, and 

 is never glued so as to make it difficult to remove. A small 

 half -round pine-strip, laid against the end of the board, 

 while tacking on the cloth, and pulled out afterwards, helps 

 to tack the cloth properly. To prevent the bees from tear- 

 ing or gnawing the edge of the cloth, some Apiarists nail a 

 small strip of tin over it. 



351. In the diagram (fig. 68), the reader will notice the 

 strip H, used to widen the upper surface of the rabbeted 

 end of the hive. This wide surface is very convenient, to 

 make the cloth and straw-mat fit closely, as they can thus 

 be cut a little longer. 



352. The oil-cloth or enamel-cloth, first applied to hive 

 purposes by R. Bickford, is used over the brood-frames in 

 Spring. It fits closely, concentrates the heat, and can be 



removed without jar or 

 effort. When the sur- 

 plus arrangement, or 

 upper story, is put on, 

 this cloth is removed 

 and placed at the top. 

 (759) All Apiarists, 

 "^^^ '^- or nearly all, who have 



HEDDON'S SKBLKTON HONEY-BOAED. , . , ,, ., , , 



tried the oil-cloth and 

 honey-board simultaneously, have discarded the latter for- 

 ever, except in some cases of comb-honey production, when 

 a skeleton honey-board (fig. 76) is used between the stories. 

 The oil-cloth is sometimes gnawed, or rather pulled to 

 pieces by the bees in a few years, but its cost is so small, 

 and its use so great, that it is worth while to replace it as 

 often as necessary. 



