224 THE bee-kbepbr's guide; 



is so able that he rarely recommends what is not valuable. 

 Several others have tried this hive, and speak in the highest 

 terms of its value. Among these are no less authorities than 

 R. L/. Taylor and W. Z. Hutchinson. At the beginning of this 

 chapter I caution all against patent hives. This is necessary, 

 as so many frauds have been committed under this guise ; but 

 if Mr. Heddon has given us something as valuable as it is 

 unique and original, he well deserves a patent, which should 

 be thoroughly respected, as should all worthy inventive eflFort. 

 From my brief experience I fear the hive is too complicated 

 for the average bee-keeper. With a much longer experience 

 (1900) I can not recommend it. It works admirably if every- 

 thing is perfectly exact ; otherwise it is a vexation. Absolute 

 exactness is rare in our day and world. 



I shall describe the hive only in brief, advising all who 

 wish to investigate this newcomer, to procure Mr. Heddon's 

 work, •* Success in Bee-Culture," as this will be an excellent 

 investment asidfe from the matter of the hive. 



This hive (Fig. 93) has close-fitting frames fastened in a 

 case by use of wooden thumb-screws. The end-bars of the 

 frames are wide like those of the Huber hives, and rest on tin 

 supports. The top and bottom bars of the hives are only as 

 wide as the natural comb, seven-eighths of an inch. The 

 frames are only five and three-eighths (5^) inches deep, and 

 this with the wide spaces between them makes it possible to do 

 much without removing the frames. There is a three-eighths 

 inch space above the frames, and a honey-board as in the 

 Heddon-Langstroth hive. 



Thus, one or two shallow hives can be used, and to con- 

 tract the brood-chamber at any time we have only to remove 

 one of them. Figure 93 shows the hive, which, with two 

 brood-chambers, gives about the capacity of a 10-frame Lang- 

 stjroth hive. As all frames are securely held by the screws, 

 any brood-chamber can be reversed, or any two can change 

 places at the pleasure of the bee-keeper. I have found the 

 screws to swell and work with extreme difficulty. I think Mr. 

 Taylor excludes the screws, and wedges the frames instead. 

 As the combs will all be firmly attached on all sides to the 

 frames, there is no space for hiding, and the queen can gen- 



