iu the cut. The wedge, A, holds all with a 

 vise-like grasp. The outer boxes are glassed, 

 as they stand on the hive (C. C. C). By 

 removing the wedge, A, any box may be 

 instantly removed, examined, returned or 

 replaced by an empty one— the spaces 

 between the rows readily admitting the 

 fingers, for that purpose. 



These, so made that they rest at each end 

 on a piece of sheet-iron bent thus |~, pre- 

 vents their being fastened by propolis. A 

 piece of tin, 3 inches wide, running under 

 the % in. strip, dividing the rows of boxes, 

 projects % inch on either side and forms an 

 excellent support for the boxes. The sepa- 

 rators are 5 inches wide, and rest on the 

 frame of the Rack, as seen at B. 



RACK FOR LANGSTROTH HIVE. 



A similar Rack is also made, containing 

 13 Prize Boxes, for the American hive, and 

 Worrall's Centennial hive. 



Friend Dibbern will here see some of his 

 ideas already adopted, and from these plans 

 for obtaining comb honey in the most mar- 

 ketable shape, he may be able to glean 

 something even more progressive than his 

 own ideas. Comparing Notes, in this way, 

 is advantageous to aU.— Ed.] 



For tne American Bee Journal. 



Texas as a Bee Country. 



I came from Michigan to Texas nearly 

 3 years ago. This portion of Texas, where 

 the climate is so mild and genial— where 

 flowers bloom nearly all seasons of the 

 year, and where bee food can be raised at 

 ALL. seasons, in inexhaustable quantities — 

 is one of the best and most profitable bee 

 countries in the world. 



The question of "Which is the best 

 method of wintering bees" does not trouble 

 us here, for there is scarcely 20 days during 

 the entire winter but bet^s wintered without 



Erotection on their " summer stands" will 

 e out "taking a fly." and generally 

 " making honey while the sun shines." 



The possibilities of South-western Texas 

 are, as yet, almost unknown. The stock 

 business, and cotton have heretofore mo- 

 nopolized the attention of the people, even 

 to the exclusion, until recently, of corn and 

 other necessaries of life. Nearly " every- 

 thing under the sun" will grow in this 



soil— most things with care, growing prodig- 

 iously. With a climate as genial as any in 

 the world, and perfectly healthy, what, I 

 ask, is needed here but industry and a little 

 time to make a man's home and its sur- 

 roundings " a thing of beauty and a joy 

 forever?" Wm. C. Green. 



Oakville, Live Oak Co., Texas. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Hive I like best. 



I like a frame 12x12 inside, because the 

 larger frames are not as good for nuclei, 

 require a larger or deeper extractor, and I 

 have noticed, as well as others, that the 

 queen prefers as nearly a perfect circle as 

 the comb will admit of for laying, especially 

 early in the season. So here are 3 good 

 reasons for adopting that frame. 



Last year my attention was particularly 

 directed to the distance between the frames, 

 by an article in Ole<mings, or Bee-Keepers' 

 Magaz'me, by Mr. Harrison, of Virginia.— 

 I made the experiments he suggested for a 

 beginner, and sure enough, at l}4 inches 

 apart, from center to center, the bees built 

 on the inside of the guides, and verv com- 

 monly made their combs between the last 

 frame and side of the hive; so I decided 

 upon 1% inches. 



Next, the hive question came up, and 

 from all 1 could learn from books and bee 

 papers, the best plan was to winter on sum- 

 mer stand, provuled one had a hive that 

 would resist the winter's cold; and such a 

 hive is calculated to resist the summer's heat 

 as well. Not able to afford money or time 

 to experiment with Finn's, Worrall's, or 

 other double-walled, high-priced hive, and 

 having tools of my own, after writing for 

 estimates from several markets and hive 

 factories, I decided to make them myself; 

 this year at least. Took % stuff, dressed 

 on one side, made a brood chamber that is 

 a cube of 13% inside, with J^xX in- rabbets; 

 nailed a strip, IxJ^ inches, round outside, 1 

 inch from top, and another around the bot- 

 tom edge. For sides of outside wall, or 

 case, took the same stuff, but turned the 

 smooth side out, instead of smooth side in, 

 as with brood chamber; cut the sides so as to 

 put back end in mitring, and extend in front 

 for portico, and cut to slope roof of portico 

 from IH inches from top of case to 6 inches 

 from top of bottom board. Cut front board 

 of case to fit under roof of portico. Bottom 

 board is 163^x20 inches, grain across, and 

 sides and back of case, cover and mask it, 

 so as to keep off all wet and cold. Nailed 

 bottom board to oak sills, running fore and 

 aft of hive, and cut sloping in front for bees 

 falling on ground to crawl up on, as given 

 in Cook's Manual. 



A screw on each side, through low edge of 

 case, fasten bottom to hive for transporta- 

 tion. Cap 7 inches deep, house-roofed, and 

 triangular strip to cover, joined at edge.— 

 This for box honey, and tiered up, " Sim- 

 plicity" fashion, if needed; using Quiuby's 

 hive clasps for lower belts if you wish; but 

 for extracting, I have made an upper story, 

 just like brood chamber, double-walling it 

 the same way, and making a flat cover with 



