174 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



inches lone; and seventeen wide, and set them 

 against the nails 0, D, with one edge standing 

 on the bottom, and fasten them in their place by 

 a thin wedge or a nail ; and take a board that 

 will reach across or cover the top, with any 

 aperture through the top board covered with 

 wire gauze for ventilation, desired by the opera- 

 tor. We then have the bees in the central 

 apartment for winter. In the early part of the 

 honey season remove the movable partitions, 

 and place the surplus honey boxes, so that the 

 inner ends, shall occupy precisely the place of 

 the inner side of the movable partition, as 

 shown in fig. 2, and the hive is prepared for the 

 summer labor of the colonj r . 



If any prefer frames in another form, or pre- 

 fer bars to the manipulation of frames, every 

 one can build to his own preference. The boxes 

 may be of any desired number or size. I have 

 the boxes I now make for use, six inches long, 

 six inches wide, and five and a half inches high, 

 outside measurement. The arrangement of the 

 boxes, as is seen, is to place one upon another, 

 forming upon both sides of the central apart- 

 ment a wall, and enclosing it. 



I build hives of three sizes. One size with 

 two six-inch boxes side by side — that is, twelve 

 inches wide with ten eleven and a quarter inch 

 frames sixteen and a half inches high, and 

 eighteen top boxes; the top boxes longer than 

 the side boxes, giving about one hundred and 

 ten pounds surplus. One with these boxes side 

 by side, twenty-seven boxes, giving nearly or 

 quite one hundred and fifty pounds, if full, (see 

 fig. 2) ; and another with four boxes side by 

 sir'e, making thirty-six boxes, capable of con- 

 taining about two hundred pounds of surplus. 

 Each is built in the same manner as the medium 

 hive illustrated. I have in reserve, for room, 

 if I find it desirable, to add five and a half 

 inches to the height of my hives, and when the 

 top boxes are partly filled, raise them and place 

 another course of top boxes under them — in- 

 creasing their capacity, say thirty per centum ; 

 having twenty-four, thirty-six, and forty-eight, 

 for the number of boxes on the three sizes of 

 hives. This increase of size for surplus room 

 may appear ludicrously enthusiastic; but my 

 experiments thus far convince there is little dan- 

 ger of too much box room. This would give in 

 (he large hive, room for two hundred and sixty- 

 six pounds of surplus, a little more or less, in 

 surplus boxes. I think a prolific Italian queen 

 would supply the brood for laborers to fill them 

 all, in a good field and season. And with so 

 much room, they would not be likely to swarm. 

 One important object is, to be able effectually 

 to control the swarming, even if we depend up- 

 on natural swarms ; which we need not do, 

 though some prefer it. 



Fig. 3 shows a stand of five hives, D, D. En- 

 trance, E. Shutters, B, B. Shutters between 

 hives, for winter, C. Eave troughs, A, A. The 

 bench and ends just the width of the hive, 22 

 inches. The roof boards may be any width de- 

 sired, to secure shade. Two other supports 

 should be placed under the bench, under the in- 

 ner edges of the second and fourth hives. A 

 bench twelve and a half feet long gives room 

 for five medium sized hives illustrated, and ten 



inches between for the entrance of the bees on 

 both sides of the stand. The alighting board is 

 always kept dry. The stand placed lengthwise, 

 north and south, the morning and evening sun 

 shine directly upon the alighting board. If pre- 

 ferred the hives may be turned a quarter round, 

 and the alighting board and entrance be paral- 

 lel with the side of the stand. But as they now 

 stand, the boxes and movable frames may be 

 approached directly upon both sides. Prepar- 

 atory for winter they should stand as they are 

 here represented. The boxes should be remov- 

 ed, the movable partitions in place, the whole 

 space between the central apartment and the 

 shutters and top of the hive be filled with straw 

 or other suitable material. The device F (fig. 

 1) be taken out, and the aperture covered with 

 gauze. The spaces between the hives should 

 then be filled with straw, the shutters, C, be 

 closed, and the bees kept perfectly dark and 



p atent ^ ii IS 



4 III 

 11 



ill 



ili ^ 



Fig. 2. 



warm for winter. It may be well to place a 

 board on each side between the top of the hives 

 and the roof boards. I think the bees are then 

 safe for winter. Should any think otherwise, 

 they can set straw all around and bank up as 

 much dirt as they please. 



It will be seen that every farmer may put the 

 six boards together to form the shell of the hive, 

 prepare the entrance, and make four fly holes ; 

 place in six bars with their undersides beveled 

 and brought to an edge in the centre, fastened 

 by nails driven through the sides of the 

 hive into the ends of the bars. The boxes 

 may be of any size, only leave them just fill the 

 space, to serve as a partition, that bees may not 

 stray 'all around the hive. He may thus secure 

 from one to two hundred pounds in every sea- 

 son, if he has on a full suit of boxes, with guide 

 comb, early in the season. 



I present this hive and these views with con- 



