40 
A YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 
devices to expedite the work. The side-piece is nailed upon 
the end-piece by driving at eacli end two 6-pennynails about 
%-incli from each edge. After the sides are nailed on, the 
super is set on end, and at each end of each end-piece three 
4 penny nails are driven, one in the middle, and one a half- 
inch from each edge. These nails are driven slanting to get 
a stronger hold, and to prevent splitting the ends of the side- 
pieces. Common (i-penny and 4-penny nails are used, being 
stiller than wire nails, which 1 use for most purposes. 
I now go to the tinner and have him cut me six pieces of 
Russia sheet-iron for eacli super; each piece lj^xl inch. 
These pieces are to be nailed upon the under edges of the 
sides of the super, so that the centre of the middle piece 
shall be at the centre of the side, and the centre of the other 
two pieces half-way between the centre of the super and the 
inside end. These points are easily obtained in this way : 
Take a strip of paper just the inside length of the super, fold 
it double, lengthwise, then double again, and the places of 
the three folds are the proper places for the middle of each 
piece of sheet-iron. Each piece is to project inward 5-16 of 
an inch, and is fastened by two 24-inch wire nails driven 
about 34-inch from the inside edge of the wood. A common 
shoe-maker’s pegging awl makes the holes for the nails. 
This awl I could not well dispense with. The long way of 
the sheet-iron piece lies across the grain of the wood. If 
many are to be made, it pays to make a tool for quickly 
setting the sheet-iron pieces at the right places. I will tell 
you how I made mine, which is as follows : 
Take a piece of pine 17 5-16x24*J4 inch, the measurements, 
except length, being not material. Then make two pieces, 
each 5x24x34; and two more, each 334x24x34 On the 17 5-16 
piece, measure off 3 13-16 inches from one end, and placing 
one end of one of the -5-inch pieces at this point, letting the 
other end project over the end of the long piece, nail it there 
with a couple of 34-inch wire nails, clinching them. Then 
leaving a space of 1 1 16 inches, nail on one of the 334-inch 
pieces. In the same way nail the remaining pieces on the 
