102 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



may be obviated, by putting straw around and in 

 front of them, to prevent the ground from thawing 

 on the front or south side of the row. It also serves 

 a good purpose for the bees to alight on when they 

 first fly out in the spring, when the air is cool and 

 chilly. The snow melts off the straw the first few 

 hours that are warm, and it is the warmest substance 

 for the weak and feeble bees to alight on and re- 

 cover themselves. 



ANOTHER METHOD. 



Set posts of some durable kind of wood into the 

 ground, or in stone, so that the frost will not heave 

 them up ; let them project a few inches above the 

 ground ; on these lay scantling or small timbers of 

 any convenient size. There should be two lines of 

 scantling parallel to each other, and about fourteen 

 inches from centre to centre. Cut bottom boards 

 twenty inches long and fifteen inches or upward wide, 

 nail them slightly across and on top of these timbers, 

 observing the proper spaces between the hives. This 

 stand may be made higher or lower, at the option of 

 the apiarian, and is a very convenient arrangement. 



STILL ANOTHER PLAN. 



Take joists, two inches by six, about fifteen inches 

 long, two pieces for a stand ; cut a board about 

 twenty inches long and fifteen inches or more in 

 width, nail this on the edge of the joists, one of them 

 supporting each end. This makes a very cheap and 

 convenient stand. 



