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BEE-HIVES. 



My " Ideal " Hive is tbe Coming 

 One. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY J. W. TEFFT. 



I take pride in being a good bee- 

 keeper, and knowing ray trade thor- 

 ouglilj. I will give some of my ideas 

 of wliat a perfect bee-hive slionld be. 

 Tlie subject-matter may not be of in- 

 terest, and then again it may be of 

 great interest. If no one receives in- 

 struction from reading it, I certainly 

 will have the pleasure of amusing 

 them. 



In the j^ear 1883 I received much 

 pleasure, information and instruction 

 in examining a bee-hive that was im- 

 ported from Rodheim, Germany, in 

 1880 ; also in the book giving a history 

 and description of the hive, by the in- 

 ventor. Rev. J. L. Christ, published at 

 Rodheim in 1783, over 100 years ago. 

 The illustrations gave me a subject for 

 thought. Previous to this I had been 

 using the Langstroth and Quinby 

 hives, as well as reading their books, 

 and other good bee-literature. 



Comparing the three books and the 

 three hives, and carefully comparing 

 the fine points in the hives and books, 

 I was impressed w'ith the similarity ; 

 then I conceived that the ideas of the 

 three men were of the same intent, but 

 had worked up their hives at opposite 

 ends. This impressed me with the 

 idea that if the three hives could be 

 combined into one solid one, some 

 serious obstacles could be removed, 

 and would be of advantage. These 

 ideas were carried out in 1875, and 

 introduced to parties in New York 

 city ; and in 1876 they brought the hive 

 ■out under the name of "Chaff Eclec- 

 tic." When I saw the hive I was 

 wofully disappointed, for they had 

 ruined my expectations by substitut- 

 ing ideas of their own, and it was not 

 much of any advance over the Lang- 

 stroth and Quinby hives. 



To say the least, I was far from 

 being contented to let the very best 

 thoughts of the three great inventors 

 remain in that shape. I concluded to 

 take the matter in my own hands, and 

 arrange things as they should be. I 

 commenced ten years ago, striking out 

 old things and substituting new ones — 

 my idea being to work out of the ruts. 

 The ten years have been employed in 

 •experimenting, perfecting and put- 

 ting things to practical tests, and they 

 have proved beyond a doubt that my 

 •convictions were right. 



The good features that I desired in 

 •a bee-hive were these : The permanent 

 packing, or hollow walls of the ends 

 of the brood-chambers 21 inches wide. 



from side to side ; room}', for single 

 movable-comb frames, and the mov- 

 able division-boards ; these three things 

 are indispensable, and I saw nothing 

 more that I desired to retain in our 

 modern bee-hive. 



I want to see the same advancement 

 in the future bee-hives that we see in 

 our flouring mills, and receive the 

 same results as the roller mill has 

 achieved over the old French burr stone 

 process. 



In order to do that, we must have 

 the brood-chambers larger from side 

 to side, with movable division-boai'ds, 

 so that the brood-chambers can be en- 

 larged or contracted at the will of the 

 apiarist, to suit any large or small 

 colony of bees, be they strong or weak, 

 as necessity requires. The ends of the 

 brood-chaml)ers must be hollow-walled, 

 or permanently packed, for the pre- 

 vention of any sudden changes from 

 heat or cold, or vice versa ; from inter- 

 fering with the workings of the bees 

 inside the hive, at any and all seasons 

 of the year. 



The bottom-board of the brood- 

 chamber should be double thickness, 

 and tarred paper put between, and 

 nailed fast to the brood-chamber to 

 prevent insects or dampness from the 

 ground passing through, as well as for 

 warmth. The sides, back, and ends 

 should be 11 inches high, and on the 

 outside, near the upper parts, one inch 

 from the upper edges, a ledge should 

 be nailed all ai'ound the brood-cham- 

 bers for strength, and for the middle 

 rim to rest upon. 



The middle rim should have no top 

 or bottom, and be 11 inches high. Its 

 functions in connection with the 

 brood-chamber, are numerous, such as 

 securing shade, ventilation, protection 

 from heat, storms and cold ; also for 

 its capacitj' for packing for winter. 

 Bees will not quit the sections when 

 thus protected. Think of it ! 



The cover should rest in the same 

 manner as the middle rim i-ests on the 

 brood-chamber, the side of the cover 

 to have 4J inches rise ; where tlie shell 

 of the hive is thus constructed, its 

 functions is to protect the movable 

 inner hive, such as shade, ventilation, 

 warmth, and numerous other good 

 things. 



Tentilation of the Hives. 



When the combs over the bees are 

 in working order, and the division- 

 boards in place, a space is found be- 

 tween the shell and the division-boards; 

 the division-boards should be }-inch 

 from the bottom-board ; and the air as 

 it enters the entrance of the hive will 

 pass under the division-board into the 

 space and out through the four venti- 

 lating holes. This keeps the bees quiet, 

 the comb free from moisture, and in- 



sures healthy bees, and pure honey. 

 The fetid air passes away into the 

 packing in winter, and into space in 

 the summer. This is a certain remedy 

 to prevent bee-diarrhea. 



9Iakin$i^ Hives. 



The division-boards, frames and 

 middle rim should part flush with the 

 top of the broud-ehambers, to insure 

 every manipulation. The cover should 

 part flush with the top of the surplus 

 chamber. The brood-chamber, middle 

 rim, top, and surplus chamber and 

 stand, are all to be made from J-inch 

 lumber, planed on both sides, and 

 must be strong, durable, light and 

 suitable for any climate or out-door 

 wintering, as well as a summer hive 

 for the North as well as the tropics. 

 We want a bee-hive for business, to do 

 all that has ever been done, and a 

 great deal more. We do not know the 

 working capacity of bees yet. 



The hive must be so constructed that 

 any and all kinds of manipulation can 

 be practiced, as well as to take any 

 and all kinds of surplus chambers ; to 

 practice the tiering-up plan as others ; 

 and secure comb honey or extracted ; 

 but we want, if possible, to avoid T- 

 tin rests and metal corners on frames, 

 and adopt something new, so that we 

 can remove sections as fast as finished, 

 more than one at a time, before the 

 whole case is finished, and have the 

 surplus case so arranged for the lateral 

 movement that a frame of sections can 

 be removed, and an empty frame of 

 sections inserted in its place, and not 

 disfigure the cappings ; thus do awaj' 

 with wide frames. This, I think, would 

 enable us to get more finished comb 

 honey at the end of the season. Then , 

 the comb should be attached to all i 

 parts of the inside sections, and nearly i 

 free from wax, bee-glue or propolis. 

 By this arrangement one can get all 

 the surplus honey in sections, if he 

 does not want to use the extractox'. 



The bee-hive proper is to be inside 

 the shell, all parts of it movable, and 

 in separate pieces, and all iuterchang- 

 able to any hive about the apiary. The 

 frames and division - boards must be 

 flush with the top of the brood-cham- 

 ber, and rest J-inch from the bottom- 

 boards of the hive, for obvious reasons, 

 but I will only mention a few, viz : 



When the hive is adjusted, and the 

 bees at work, the space between the 

 inside hive and the shell, form an air 

 space, and j'oung bees will occupy and 

 be out of the way of the workers, and 

 not hang out on the front of the hive, 

 to be run over bj- working bees. They 

 will be protected from storms also ; 

 then at night, when the workers are 

 all at home, I have seen this space 

 ci'owded with bees, and also on rainy, 

 cold daj's. To feed bees a better con- 



