bee-keeper's manual. 157 



small holes are made in the floor-board to suit the size 

 of the pins at the corners, in such positions that the 

 whole four pins can at any time be lowered therein. 

 When this is done, the only place of ingress and egress 

 for the bees, is .the small door- way, as seen in the cut, 

 and run the slide over this, through the wire staples 

 placed to receive it, and you have the bees imprisoned. 

 It is important to have an opening, with a slide per- 

 forated with holes, on both sides, that is, in the front 

 and in the rear of the hive ; to admit a free circulation 

 of air under the bees in the winter. This is another 

 important principle of my management ; but I must not 

 digress too far > you shall hear the whole in due time. 



When small blofcks are used instead of pins, the bee- 

 keeper has only to pull them out, let down his hive, close 

 the opening in front and rear, and the bees are shut in 

 as before. 



We now come to the upper structure or super, and it 

 will be perceived, that a glass window is placed on one 

 side. This is placed in that position to save expense. 

 It would, perhaps, be a little better to place it in the 

 centre ; yet the joiner who made hives for me, informed 

 me, that a considerable time could be saved in placing the 

 windows in this position, with a sliding door to run in a 

 groove. The sliding door may be seen in the cut drawn 

 out. They who have but a few hives to make, would 

 not save much in this way ; and I should recommend 

 the door to be placed in the centre, and hung with very 

 small butts. Indeed, this door may be altogether dis- 

 pensed with, by those who may so choose ; yet these 



