254 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1. 



deep enough to cover one set of upper stories, 

 and leave room above the honey-boards for 

 some straw packing for winter. The gable-end 

 boards in my hives are 17>2 wide at the ridge, 

 below the roof- boards, and ISK in. under the 

 eaves. The roof is hinged together with three 

 heavy 5-inch strap hinges. My frames are L. 

 size, 17%xy,V. 



Now I believe the hive is made. You can 

 see very nearly what kind of a stand I set it on 

 —6 stakes driven into the ground, 2 feet four 

 inches out of the ground; 3 boards, 4 inches 

 wide, nailed on top of the stakes crosswise of 

 the hive, all leveled with a spirit-level. 



My bees are wintering finely in those hives 

 this winter — 140 colonies; not one yet dead. 

 All had a good fly Feb. 27. 



an hour or two, then smoke them a little and 

 put in the upper set of frames fixed to suit you; 

 or if the swarm is small, drive the bees down 

 into the lower story, and put the honey-board 

 on that. 



I find this hive safe to winter bees in. Wind 

 doesn't blow it over; farm stock don't push 

 them over. 



One thing I forgot to mention. That single 

 story, shown with the open hive, shows a strip 

 of galvanized iron nailed on the single side, 

 raised up }{ inch above the wood. That should 

 go around the single end also. It is put on as 

 a safeguard to prevent the bees from passing 

 over from one colony to another. We cut a 

 strip l>o inches wide, and long enough to go 

 around one side and one end; nailed on the 



kkance's quadruple hive opened and dissected. 



Some one says, " How in the world can you 

 hive a swarm in that thing?" Easily. First, 

 hive your swarm in a common box hive; then 

 turn up one half of the roof over on to the other 

 half. Put your frames into the lower story 

 containing combs, or foundation or starters; 

 set on the second story empty, no frames; have 

 the honey-board ready to put on. Now get 

 your box hive that has your swarm in it; bring 

 it to your prepared quadruple hive; hold your 

 box hive over the empty second story of the 

 frame hive — box hiveopen end, of course. Now 

 give the box hive a good chug down on the 

 frame hive, and your bees are all in. Put on 

 the honey-board quick, then let them alone for 



honey-board; and other single stories fit right 

 in there. The iron is not in the way at all. 

 Platteville, Wis. 



[It may be a little difficult to understand the 

 exact construction of the quadruple hive from 

 the description; but if you will examine care- 

 fully the engravings I think it will be plain. 

 It will be seen that these quadruple hives are 

 large, and it would almost appear that they are 

 clumsy, and would require clumsy and difficult 

 manipulation. But friend France has got the 

 handling of them down to a science. When I 

 saw him work them he did nothing with them 

 except what any frail woman could have done. 

 Indeed, although he is over 70 years old he 

 handles one yard entirely alone, taking large 

 crops of honey. My purpose in saying this of 

 the quadruple hive as used by Mr. France is 



