188G 



GLEANINGS IN 13EE CULTURE. 



20? 



IMPROVEMENT IN BEE - HIVES AND 

 FIXTUKES. 



NO NEED OF DEMORALIZING CHANGES; SIMPLICI- 

 TY HIVES EASILY CONVEHTED INTO 

 REVERSIBLE ONES. 



fRIEND ROOT, we gather from what has been 

 wi-itten on this subject of improvement 

 in hives, that what is most needed to ac- 

 complish the impi-ovemcnt are^the follomng 

 new and desirable features: 1. The easy 

 and quick reversal of the brood-combs when neces- 

 sary; ~, Permitting the use of a practical honey- 

 board between the brood-frames and the surplus; 3, 

 Whenever thought necessary, allowing the easy 

 and rapid reversal of the surplus honey, either 

 Avhen in frames of comb or in sections above; 4, 

 Allowing the use of separators between the sec- 

 tions when using them in the case system, and on 

 the tiering-up plan. 



We know that there have been given, from time to 

 time, a great many methods, and recently an in- 

 vention, whereby these g things may be accom- 

 plished; but it seems that they all meet with more 

 or less opposition, on the ground of the demoraliz- 

 ing changes they would of necessity bring about if 

 they were generally adopted. After much careful 

 study and thought upon the subject, it seems to us 

 (and we doubt not our bee-keeping friends will gen- 

 erally agree) that if the addition of the above-men- 

 tioned valuable features could only be made to our 

 time-honored movable-frame [hives in the person- 

 ality of the L. and Simplicity, at the same time re- 

 taining all of their best features, which have been 

 found to be so valuable, after long years of service 

 and e.\perience. It would be " a consummation de- 

 voutly to be wished;" and although at first thought 

 it seems hardly possible, nevertheless we predict 

 that it Avill not fail of consummation. And now, 

 friend R., with this end in view, if you will kindly 

 allow uSkSpace, we will try to make it plain to your- 

 self, as well as our bee-keeping friends, how it is 

 possible to convert a Simplicity hive (those' already 

 in use) into a reversible hive, possessing all the de- 

 sirable features alluded to above, and at the same 

 time doing it without taking it apart and building- 

 it over again, and that, too, at so little trouble and 

 expense it could not possibly be considered demor- 

 alizing to think of making the change, taking into 

 consideration the many and great advantages to le 

 gained. This is done in the following manner: 



Take a Simplicity-hivcj body, place it; upon a cir- 

 cular-saw table, having set the guage at 9!^ inches; 

 run it through and cut away the bevel portion at 

 the top, all around; this should leave the top of the 

 hive on a level with the tops of the frames. Next 

 nail on a light frame, or collar, made of strips of 

 wood ',4 in. square, size lexSO'.i outside measure, to 

 take the place of the beveled portion removed. 

 This done, you have a Simplicity that will reverse 

 ten hanging frames (or a less number, even with 

 division-boards) without having any alteration to 

 make in them, by simply^turning the hive bottom 

 side up, provided the frames are supported from 

 falling out by means of two strips of wood M2 in. thick, 

 ?a in. wide, and 15 inches long, laid across them near 

 their ends^and made fast to the offset in the sides 

 of the hive, these being, as we mentioned before, 

 on a line with the tops of frames. 



The strips used for this purpose are best made of 

 basswood, and according to the following diagram, 



only the beveled portion then resting upon the 

 bottom-board, thus furnishing less surface for 

 propolizirig. They also would be much better if 

 made of east metal. 



These strips not only hold the frames in their prop- 

 er places while the hive is being turned over, but, 



resting lupon the 

 bottom - board, by 

 the weight of the 

 hive they press 



STRIPS OF WOOD To LAY ON TIIK FRAMES, the tOp-barS tlmi- 



ly against the rabbet, thus preventing the bottoms 

 (which are now the tops) from toppling or leaning 

 together. A Simplicity hive thus treated, makes 

 practically the same hive we are now making and 

 using, the past season's experience with which has 

 given us great satisfaction, an illustration of which 

 can be found on page T71 of Gleanings for Nov. 

 115, 1885, to which please refer, as it will greatly as- 

 sist us in the further explanation. 



Now, with our Simplicity bodies made reversible 

 they will manipulate in all ways the same as the 

 Ideal reversible bee-hive there shown, which is only 

 a modification of the Simplicity, and they will now 

 admit the use of a wood-slat honey-board like the 

 one shown in the cut. This honey-board is reversi- 

 ble, is 15 in. wide and 19 in. long, and has 60 openings 

 like those in a section box, only not so wide, being 

 scant 3-16 in.; and when placed in position on the 

 hive it gives two bee-spaces of i'g in., one above and 

 one below. Now, a Hutchinson, or a Heddon 

 honey-board either, could be used, provided it is 

 made wide enough for a ten-frame hive. 



Our reversible Simplicity bodies are still inter- 

 changeable, and can bo tiered one above another, 

 just as they could before; and having a honey- 

 board between, which prevents the upward building 

 of comb from fastening the two sets of frames to- 

 gether, they are much more easily removed when 

 filled. The upper story can also be reversed, the 

 same as the lower, and will revei'se metal-cornered 

 Simplicity frames as well as all-wood top-bars, or 

 both kinds together. Half-stories, if they are made 

 alike at top and bottom, to hold the sections and 

 separators in single-tier wide frames, can also be 

 reversed over the brood-chamber, provided the tops 

 of wide frames are made the same width as their 

 bottoms; however, we do not i-ecommend the use 

 of wide frames to hold the sections, either in single 

 or double tier, in order to be able to use separatoi-s, 

 for we have a much better way of doing it. 



This brings us to consider our reversible cases, to 

 be used over our newly made reversible Sim- 

 plicity body, to hold the sections and separators 

 (see illustration above referred to); and from prac- 

 tical test we can safely recommend it as being by 

 far the easiest, simplest, and best method, thus re- 

 taining all the valuable features of the case system, 

 as taught by friends Heddon and Hutchinson, be- 

 sides adding to it the use of separators, and per- 

 mitting the reversal of all the sections at one opera- 

 tion. 



The case holds 33 l?i-inch sections, without any 

 separators, or 30 1 'a -inch sections with sepai-ators 

 between them— not short ones either, but long 

 enough to reach across three section hexes; nor do 

 they have to be nailed to any thing as separators 

 are when used in wide frames -a very big advan- 

 tage, as any one trying it will discover. The cases 

 are not thin-walled, as the Heddon case, nor do 

 they need the outer covering, as does the Moore 



