HIVES. 



249 



invEs. 



were in later years abandoned, and liaiid- 

 holes, made by means of a wahble-saw, were 

 used. But these hand-holes, while very 

 neat and cheap, did not begin to aftord the 

 excellent grip that one secures when getting 

 hold of a seven-inch cleat. But a far better 

 arrangement than either is a combination ol' 

 cleat and hand-hole, as shown in illustration 

 of the Dovetailed hive, p. 241, and the cuts 

 below. A short strip of 1-inch molding- is 

 nailed just above the hand-hole so that the 

 fingers get a double grip. In the accompany- 

 ing diagrams the reader will see the advan- 

 tage of this arrangement. Referring to the 

 diagram at D, when one lifts by the hand- 



hive lie can tier up one brood-ciiainber on 

 top of the otlier. 



THE TEN - FKAME LANGSTKOTH IIIVK OF 

 EXTRA DEPTH. 



It was suggested by A. N. Draper, of Up- 

 per Alton, 111., one of Mr. Dadant's follow- 

 ers, that, in order to reduce cost, instead of 

 making a hive after the Quinby dimensions, 

 and on the Dadant pattern— the former be- 

 ing odd-sized and the latter expensive to 

 construct— a hive be constructed after the 

 pattern of the regular ten-frame Dovetailed, 

 having Langstroth dimensions save in one 

 measurement — that of depth. He would 

 add to the hive and frame 2i inches. As 

 the Dadants ordinarily use nine 

 frames in their Quinby hives, ten 

 frames 2i inches deeper, with 

 Langstroth top-bar, would give 

 the hive equal capacity. Such a 

 hive would take regular Lang- 

 stroth ten-frame bottom-boards, 

 cover, supers, honey-boards, win- 

 ter-cases — in fact, every thing 

 adapted to the regular ten-frame 

 Langstroth Dovetailed hive. As 

 the ten-frame hive is one of the 

 standards, it seems reasonable to 

 suppose that, if the large hive is 

 really better, such a hive would 

 l)e more simple, and cost less, 

 than to adopt regidar Quinby- 

 frame dimensions, and make the 

 hive as the Dadants show it in 

 the cut, p. 247. Indeed, we have 



been told that the Dadants would favor such holes alone he lifts by the tips of the fingers 

 a hive rather than the one they have adopt- only; and when the hive is heavy, the strain 

 ed, if they were to start anew. Your supply- on the fingers is severe and often painful. 



THE CO.MPAKATIVE DIFFEKEXCE IN SIZE 15ETWEEN 



A REGULAR EIGHT-FRAME HIVE AND 



A TEN-FRAME .JUMBO. 



dealer will make the brood-chamber for about 

 25 per cent more than the regular ten-frame 

 Langstroth Dovetailed ; the super, covers, 

 and bottom-boards would, of course, cost no 

 more. Where one by reason of locality or 

 preference desires such large hives, the 

 Jumbo ten-frame Langstroth of extra depth, 

 suitable for taking standard ten-frame fix- 

 tures and fittings, is the hive to select. 



CLEATS V. HAND-HOLES. 



By referring to the illustration of the orig- 

 inal Langstroth hive on page 240, and also 

 to the illustration of the Dadant hive, page 

 247, one will see that they have cleats or 

 rims running all around the hive near the 

 top edge. These serve the double purpose 

 of supporting the telescopic cover and 

 affording convenient handles by w^hich to 

 lift the hives ; but on account of the ex- 

 pense, these cleats running around the hive 



But if he can get the greater part of the 

 weight on the middle joints of the fingers, 

 as shown at A, and on a rounding edge, he 



can lift all his back will stand. Tiie cleat 

 alone woidd not give room enough for the 

 fingers to permit of the grip on the middle 

 joints, as shown at A ; but when the side of 

 the hive is recessed by the hand-hole, it al- 

 lows of the fingers being shoved to a point 

 to get the be.st possible grip. If one expects 

 to use heavy hives, then he needs some such 

 arrangement as this. The cost is insigniti- 

 cant, and the advantage great. 



