A YEAB AMONG THE BEES. 
11 
toward fall, when the accumulation of propolis will make the 
chisel again necessary. 
Mr. A. I. Root, I suppose, would say I ought to have metal 
corners to my frames and avoid the necessity of prying them 
loose. I tried two such hives made by him and I didn’t like 
them. For one thing, my frames, as they are, are ready 
spring and fall, for hauling, without any nailing or fastening 
of any kind. Right here is a good place to enter a protest 
against the belief that I think my plans and fixtures are, 
under all circumstances, better than those of any one who 
differs from me. Mine may be best for me, and his for him. 
Or, it may be that if I knew enough about his, or had tried 
them in the right way-, I would at once discard mine and adopt 
his. I think I am rather conservative about changes, old 
fogy if you like, but I expect to keep making changes so long 
as I keep bees. 
Having finished using the chisel, or even if I should put it 
out of my hand for a minute, I must at once put it in the box. 
Formerly, I sometimes put a tool on the ground, and then I 
would forget where I put it, and perhaps not find it for two 
or three days. If, for any reason, I do not want to put it in 
the box, I put it on the top of a hive, so I can see it from a 
distance. 
After loosening the frames, I lift out the one at the south 
side, (the hives face east), and place it in the empty hive ; 
then the next frame, and so on, watching for the first frame 
with brood. This frame of brood is placed next to the south 
frame in the new hive, but before putting it there I glance 
to see whether the queen is on it. I have always noticed 
that the bees, if left to themselves, have little or no brood in 
the south frame, but always a fine supply of pollen. When 
the brood-nest has become sufficiently enlarged it will always 
be found extending to this south frame, although there may 
be two or three frames without brood at the north side, and 
the south frame will be kept throughout the season as a store- 
house for honey and pollen ; this seeming to be desired by 
the bees, and convenient, as well, for me. Of course, if the 
