AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



337 



used in the Handy hive, and so perfect 

 are they in practice that I have never 

 been able to add the slightest improve- 

 ment. As being in the fullest sense a 

 frame w^ith fixed distances, and which a 

 blind man can use, and get each frame 

 in its exact place, and yet remove any 

 single frame from any part of the hive 

 without disturbing the other frames, far 

 easier than the common hanging frame. 



These frames are always the exact dis- 

 tance apart (1^^ inches) at both top and 

 bottom, when in position. The top of 

 the frame is kept in place by the wire 

 ends of the frame resting in a shallow 

 notch in the edge of the tin rabbet, and 

 the bottom is held by suitable wire sta- 

 ples driven into the ends of the hive- 

 body. These frames are plain and easy 

 to make, the wire ends being 6 penny 

 wire nails driven into the top ends of 

 the frame. 



The hives are cheap and simple to 

 make, and have no loose parts, and may 

 be tiered to any hight for extracting, 

 and the proper bee-spaces (J^ inch) al- 

 ways be maintained. Any style of super 

 may be used for comb honey ; for ex- 

 tracted, the same combs as used for the 

 brood-nest, thus avoiding extra-sized ex- 

 tracting combs. 



It is right to record a good thing, and 

 in this spirit I recommend the Handy 

 hive. I do not recommend it because I 

 invented it. I commend it because after 

 25 years' experience with it on a large 

 scale, and in competition with all the 

 best hives in use, I know it to be the 



handiest and most profitable hive in use, 

 for either the keeper of a few colonies, 

 or the professional apiarist who numbers 

 his hives by the hundred. Both fixed 

 frames and the old well-tried hanging 

 frames have each their special merit. 

 The frames used in the Handy hive com- 

 bine all the good qualities of both fixed 

 and loose hanging frames, and without 

 the bad features of either ; for while 

 they are in the true sense a fixed frame, 

 they are far more movable than even 

 the hanging frames. 



The slotted top-bar used in these 

 frames is of great value, as with it the 

 tops of the frames always keep entirely 

 straight. This keeps the bee-space be- 

 tween the brood-nest and supers always 

 right, which almost entirely prevents 

 that great nuisance, burr-comb, while it 

 entirely abolishes the necessity for a 

 slatted honey-board. The Handy hive 

 is perfect for either comb or extracted 

 honey, and I warrant that no bee-keepers 

 will be led astray by adopting it, as they 

 frequently are, by buying new and 

 highly-praised hives. 



The top-bars ere slotted (see illustra- 

 tion), which entirely prevents sagging; 

 the weight of the combs being supported 

 by the lower half of the top-bar, the 

 upper part always remaining straight, 

 thus always keeping just a bee-space be- 

 tween the brood-frame and supers, or 

 between two or more hive-bodies for ex- 

 tracting. This almost entirely prevents 

 that great annoyance,, burr-comb. I 

 also assert from actual experience that 

 these double top-bars, as used in this 

 hive, render slatted honey-boards en- 

 tirely unnecessary. What I term " lat- 

 eral movement," so desirable in hand- 

 ling frames, and which played so impor- 

 tant a part in giving the hanging frames 

 their great reputation, and lacking in 

 all other fixed frames that have as yet 

 made their appearance, is most complete 

 in the double top-bar wire-end frames. 

 You can instantly separate two frames 

 in any part of the hive without loosening 

 any wedges, screws or other traps to 

 make room to get out the first trame ; 

 or you can take out any frame without 

 moving or disCurbing the others. Yet 

 each frame has a special place in which 

 to rest, and from which they can be 

 more easily removed, than even trfie old 

 suspended Langstroth frame. And 

 finally, they are as cheap as any other 

 good frame, and combine all the good 

 points of both suspended and fixed 

 frames, with none of their faults. 



This hive is precisely like my very 

 shallow double broqd-chamber hive that 

 has been mentioned in the bee-papers, 



