bee-keepbe's manual. 165 



inches space between the ends of the cross-bars of tHe 

 different stands ; thus affording facility for placing a hive 

 in position, or removing it to another location, at pleasure. 

 The timber used in the posts should be equal in dura- 

 bility to chestnut, and chestnut joists 3 by 4, are the very 

 best that can be used. It is necessary to have body to 

 the timber below the ground ; but above it is not neces- 

 sary to be so strong. There is a Way to economize, and 

 at the same time beautify these posts, as follows, viz : — 

 take a piece of 3 by 4 joist, eight feet long, and at a dis- 

 tance of two feet from the end, set in your saw obliquely 

 till you come to the centre of the stick ; then running 

 the saw along through the centre four feet, you stop, and 

 on the opposite side to that, on which you commenced 

 sawing, you cut off the stick, thus giving two posts, six 

 feet long, each with a shoulder two feet in length of full 

 size, to be set into the ground, while the diminished por- 

 tions, four feet long, above the ground, are quite strong 

 enough, and much improved in beauty by the operation. 

 The end of one piece will have to be squared at the top, 

 in consequence of the necessity of cutting obliquely, to 

 get the saw into the centre of the stick. If the joists are 

 just twelve feet long, and by this operation the extra 

 four feet become useless, nothing is gained on the score 

 of economy ; yet something is gained in the looks of the 

 posts when erected. If joists can be obtained sixteen 

 feet long, then a saving may be made, or if the apiarian 

 chooses to lessen the height of his hives, perhaps three 

 feet above, and eighteen inches below the ground, would 

 answer; and in such a case posts only four feet six 



