74 Transactions of the [Sess. 



years ago, and were patented, but they were unnecessarily com- 

 plicated, and very costly — their principal merit being, that with 

 them honey could be taken on the depriving system without de- 

 stroying the Bees, and this was a great advance on Bee-keeping at 

 that time ; but all modern hives now give facilities for this practice. 

 Afterwards Stewarton brought out his octagonal boxes placed one 

 upon another on the storifying principle, and these are still exten- 

 sively used, but there is here also the objection of expense ; and, 

 moreover, when you have several stories in a hive, there must 

 necessarily be much valuable time wasted by the insects in going 

 up to deposit the honey. The Giotto hive, the invention of an 

 Italian, is much used in that country, and has been introduced 

 here. It consists of a number of frames, like sections of a square 

 box placed longitudinally, and held together by iron pins and nuts ; 

 but it is too cold for this climate, and can never be so workable as 

 a bar-framed hive. A writer in the ' Bee Journal ' of Oct. last speaks 

 of it thus : "I unhesitatingly say, from my experience of about a 

 dozen Giotto hives, that they are unworkable, are virtually fixed, — ■ 

 and if you want to utterly disgust any one with Bee-keeping, recom- 

 <mend him a Giotto hive, for, to manage one, he would require to 

 have the temper of an angel, the patience of Job, and the skin of a 

 rhinoceros." Without mentioning the great variety of hives which 

 have from time to time been invented, I will now direct your at- 

 tention to the modern bar-framed hive — one of which, made by Mr 

 Cockburn of Cairnie, by Keith, I exhibit for your inspection. This 

 is the form now so generally used by Bee-keepers, and acknowledged 

 to be the best for practicability and utility in Bee management, A 

 standard size of frame has now been agreed upon and adopted by 

 most makers : it is 13| inches by 8 inches inside the top of the 

 frame, being one inch wide, and spaces between the frames being 

 half an inch. This hive combines many advantages. It can be 

 reduced in size at pleasure, by taking out some of the frames and 

 substituting padding, for keeping out winter cold. Honey can be 

 taken at any moment without destroying the Bees ; and by inserting 

 a dividing zinc plate, which, while allowing workers to pass through, 

 excludes the queen, we can ensure combs of honey free from 

 brood ; and by placing over the frames a crate of supers, we have 

 the power of temporarily enlarging the hive to almost any extent. 

 The entrance, by an ingenious and simple arrangement, can be 

 enlarged or contracted at pleasure. 



For purposes of observation of the internal economy of the hive, 

 many forms of observatory hives are made, and prizes are given 

 annually for these hives at the Kensington Exhibition, and the 

 stipulations of the Association regarding these hives are, that they 

 shall allow every Bee in the hive to be seen at any moment, so that 

 the queen is always visible. They are, therefore, mostly uni-comb 



