86 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



M. Price's Movable Comb, Square 

 Frame, Double Cased Bee Hive. 



Mr. Editor : — I wish to introduce to the 

 notice of bee-keepers a hive which I have in- 

 vented and have in use, and which is not pat- 

 ented, but free to all. I send you a model, 

 drawing - , and description, The model is not a 

 sample of workmanship, but a good specimen 

 of the hive as it is actually in use. It is an ex- 

 act representation of the hive in miniature. It 

 is well proportioned inside and out. I can use 

 it as well as my Langstroths ; and as a 

 hive for farmers' use, I think it preferable. At 

 first glance it looks as if it would cost more and 

 take more lumber than the Langstroth ; but a 

 hive of the dimensions I make them takes just 

 as much lumber as a two-story Langstroth, and 

 not more — that is, two of his standard hives, 

 one on top of the other. The relative capacity 

 of each is as follows : A two-story Langstroth, 

 with twenty frames, each 16 by 8|- inches is 

 2,720 square inches. Mine, with sixteen frames, 

 as per dimensions, is just 2,208 square inches ; 

 and by using two frames in summer instead of 

 the end boards number 20, for the inside covers, 

 8 and 9, to rest on, the capacity is 2,638 square 

 inches. So you see its cost, in proportion to its 

 capacity, is not as much as that of the other. 

 The frame, in actual use, hangs as true and just 

 as firm. 



With the use of the honey-emptying machine, 

 the day of surplus honey boxes has passed away. 

 My machine holds just four of my frames. I 

 have not tried it yet, as Ave have had a drought 

 here so that for seven weeks the bees hardly 

 left their hives, and in most of them they have 

 used up the greater portion of their honey. I 

 am told that, in the country around here, many 

 of the young swarms put into box hives, have 

 starved or dwindled away to nothing. Bees are 

 doing better now. Most of them are getting as 

 much honey as they consume. 



By setting the boards number 20, half an inch 

 from the sides, all you have to do when you 

 want to take out a frame is to sever the connec- 

 tions that bees always make between the frame 

 and side, and take out the board. Then you 

 have a two-inch space to move frames sideways, 

 and so get at any frame without taking any out 

 of the hive, as you do with other hives. That 

 American hive, (King's), having to take out 

 nine to get at the tenth, would be poison to me. 



The hive which I now introduce to notice, 

 tills a place so far not filled by any other hive 

 now before the public. It is simple in all its 

 details, and free from all humbug. It is easily 

 made by anyone who can use the tools com- 

 monly found on a farm. It is cool in summer 

 and warm in winter, and can in a moment be 

 made so sn't any colony, large or small. It has 

 all the advantages claimed for any hive, and 

 one peculiar to itself. It will bear comparison 

 with any ; and it meets the wants of settlers on 

 our western prairies, who, to keep bees, cannot 

 afford to build expensive winter quarters for a 

 few colonies, but who would still like to keep a 

 few for family use, yet dare not do it now, as it 



is certain death to attempt to winter them on 

 our cold, bleak, and windy prairies. This hive 

 is most thoroughly protected from the weather, 

 and the interior is easily and quickly reached, 

 to perform any operation with bees ; and it 

 may be used with or without frames. Last 

 winter the mercury of the thermometer, placed 

 between the packing and the inclined top of the 

 inner hive, stood at 63°, while outside the mer- 

 cury was at zero. I examined it several times 

 a day for nearly a month. The mercury ranged 

 from 5° degrees below to 35° above zero outside, 

 while inside the mercury varied only one or two 

 degrees — showing that the temperature of the 

 inner hive did not sympathize with the outside 

 variations. 



Profitable bee-keeping depends on the safe 

 wintering of bees ; and I believe all acknowl- 

 edge that if that could be done success- 

 fully on their summer stands, it would be the 

 best way. Writers in the Bee Journal and 

 nearly all patentees are now striving for that 

 point. This hive secures their safety more than 

 any with which I am acquainted, and my neigh- 

 bors and myself have thirty-seven of them in 

 successful operation. 



On the front entrance it is protected by the 

 boards 1, 5, 6, 10, and the dead air spaces 18 

 and 19 ; on the rear lower side by the boards 1, 

 2, 3, and the dead air space 17 ; and on the top 

 by the boards 2, 8, 9, 11, 13, and the dead air 

 space 16. The space between the inner covers 

 8 and 9, and the top 13, is to be filled with 

 straw, chaff, or saw dust in winter, or with 

 rags. The space that is filled with straw in 

 winter can be filled with boxes for surplus hon- 

 ey in summer; but as there is room for sixteen 

 frames in the body of the hive, I think such 

 boxes can be dispensed with, by occasionally 

 removing two or three of the frames when filled 

 and substituting empty ones for them. 



Two straw cushions are to be placed, in win- 

 ter, between the sides of the hive and the square 

 movabie sides, 20, of the inner hive, on which 

 the covers, 8 and 9, of the inner hive rest, and 

 which keeps them from touching the frames and 

 forms the space between 14 and 8 and 9 . Thus, 

 it will be seen, it has thorough protection. 



The cost of the hive, including paint, which I 

 make myself, and nails, does not exceed two 

 dollars. Any person wanting further informa- 

 tion, can obtain it by enclosing to me a postage 

 stamp or a directed stamped envelope. 



Dimensions op the Hive. 



1. Bottom of outer hive, 24 by 30 inches. 



2. Back of outer hive, 24 by ^4 inches. 



3. Back of inner hive, 18 by 22 inches. 



4. Strips for frames to rest on, 1 by ^ and 22 

 inches. 



5. Front of inner hive, 16 by 22 inches. 



6. Movable front of hive, 4 by 22 inches, with 

 fly-hole, 



7. Block, to make fly-hole large or small. 



8. Cover of inner hive, 14^ by 21 £ inches. 



9. Cover of inner hive, 13£ by 21 g- inches. 



10. Movable front of hive, for winter, 24 by 

 8 inches. 



11. Front of hive, 16 by 24 inches. 



