THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



211 



reference thereto, have sought for that one 

 form and size of hive, which, without essential 

 change, best answers the greatest number of 

 practical ends. As the result of my study and 

 practice thus far, I present what I shall call the 

 Economic Hive, because it can be so cheaply 

 and conveuieutly adapted to so many uses. It 

 is made of sound inch boards, and, when com- 

 plete, is three stories high, and covered by a 

 temporary roof for shade and shelter. Two 

 stories are designed for frames, and the third 

 for surplus honey boxes. The several stories 

 are made separately, so that the first story may 

 be used by itself, or in conjunction with the 

 second or third stories, one or both, or all to- 

 gether, as circumstances or desigu may re- 

 quire. 



The first story is made 12 x 20 x 12 inches, 

 inside measure, or twelve inches wide, twenty 

 inches long, twelve indies deep ; and is set 

 upon a low foundation, eighteen by twenty- 

 six inches. 



The second story is made 12 x 20 x 11 inches, 

 inside measure, to bet directly upon the first 

 story and kept in place by thin base boards 

 nailed all arounl and shooting a little ovtr the 

 first story. 



The third, or half story, as it might be called, 

 is made in the form of a cap, fourteen inches 

 wide and twenty-two inches long, inside mea- 

 sure, and any height desired, to accomodate one 

 or two tiers of boxes, which I make after Qum- 

 by's pattern, of glass set in posts, 7 x 16 x 6 

 inches, outside measure. 



The frames I make ten by eleven inches 

 clear, inside measure, and set them in the hive 

 so as to leave one-fourth of an inch space around 

 and over them, and one inch beneath, in the 

 first story. In the second story (made shallow' - 

 er by one inch) the bottom of the frames comes 

 down to within one-fourth of an inch of the top 



able to remove this case, when, by the use oi 

 nicely fitting division boards, some very im- 

 portant purposes can be very conveniently ac- 

 complished, for which it seems to me this size 

 and form is best adapted. 



First. If it is wished to use a choice queen for 

 providing a stated supply of perfect queen cells, 

 as is my custom, two frames should be removed 

 from her hive and a division board inserted 

 across the middle, and if a board half an inch 

 thick be inserted at either end, it will of course 

 j aid the warmth, and when lifted out leave more 

 room to work the remaiuing frames — six in 

 number— in each apartment, which will be ju&t 

 9x12x12 inches, leaving each frame at the right 

 distance from the others. Now, in the apart- 

 ment without a queen, cells will be started, and 

 witli due care in alternating the queen from eud 

 to end, every nine or ten days, a stated supply 

 of cells may be safely kept up, which will be 

 far better than those forced in the little nucleus 

 boxes. 



Second. To prepare one of these Economic 

 hives for rearing queens, it is only necessary to 

 make an entrance in the middle of the uack 

 side and insert two (2) well fitting divi- 

 sion boards, and you have three apartments 

 each 6 x 12 x 12 inches, just large enough to re- 

 ceive four frames, and right to be covered by a 

 honey box. Now insert your comb with brood 

 and bees, and you have three nice little stocks, 

 each aiding to keep the other warm, and reauy 

 to take charge of your extra queen cells ; and 

 (providing each queen, on becoming fertile, is 

 left long enough to fill the combs with eggs), 

 as good in proportion to their numbers, for box 

 honey, as larger stocks. These little stocks, 

 left in this way with their queuns, and an extra 

 box of honey over them, will winter in a warm 

 cellar just as well as large stocks. And, what a 

 treat, three queens to a hive! for emergencies in 



of the lower tier of frames. No honey-board ! the spring, or with which to start early artifi- 

 between. I use thirteen frames, running cross- ! cial swarms. 



wise, in each story, save in the breeding season, 

 it will do to use fourteen, all filled with worker 

 comb, in the lower story. The frames in the 

 second story, to be emptied as occasion permits, 

 by the aid of the melextractor, may consist in 

 part or altogether of drone comb ; so that by 

 the use of the two tiers of frames in the two 

 stories, all worker comb can be selected for the 

 first or breeding apartment. 



As all understand the use of surplus boxes, it 

 only remains to show how usefully the first 

 story may, in a variety of ways be used alone. 



First. As, a stock hive, two entrances are ne- 

 cessarily made through the sun side, about 

 four to six inches from either end, and closed 

 or regulated by ventilating b uttons, metallic 

 slides, movable blocks, or channels in the bot- 

 tom board, and these also answer for most other 

 uses. Now, if extra warmth is desired, this 

 first story covered with a loose board 14x22 

 inches, may be surrounded by a cheap rough 

 case 1G x 24 x 18 inches, inside measure, and 

 the vacant space filled with buckwheat hulls or 

 some light material — thus making the hive, 

 when rightly ventilated secure for fall keeping 

 or even wintering out, and warm for early spring 

 breeding. Later in the season, it may be desir- 



Third. To rear stocks from a nucleus, two 

 division boards may be used, and a few combs 

 witli brood, bees, and a queen cell inserted in 

 either end, and built up Gallup fashion. Then 

 one division board may be left, and both queens 

 wintered ; or one queen and both boards re- 

 moved, and the stock treated as desired. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I doubt whether any other 

 hive, so simple in construction, can combine so 

 many valuable advantages. Mr. Hazen's and 

 Mr. Quinby's new hives arc no doubt excellent 

 of their kind. But at this stage, when the mel- 

 extractor seems to promise such a saving of 

 comb-building, an arrangement for the accom- 

 modation of extra frames seems desirable, 

 rather than one for surplus boxes. In my opin- 

 ion, Mr. Gallup, in the crosswise frame, has 

 hit upon the best general form, of which my 

 preference is just a modification. 



I must say that I have received from Lang- 

 stroth, Quinby, Gallup, and others (as anyone 

 may) many useful hints ; and to me the impres- 

 sion made is unpleasant, when any of these ex- 

 perienced and useful men, in the art — or their 

 work — is spoken of lighity or slightingly. If, 

 after much effort, they have not readied the 

 maximum, neither doubtless have others ; and 



