GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Fkbruarv, 1921. 



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FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



ably east and west — and leveled up before 

 the hives are placed upon them. The bot- 

 tom-board is of original design to facilitate 

 packing for winter and to allow air to cir- 

 culate freely under it when standing on the 

 platform. The standard bottom-board, rest- 



tom rim, and the ends of the sides abut 

 against the cleats in the end panels, making 

 a nail or hook at each upper corner all that 

 is necessary to hold the case firmly to- 

 gether. The cover is in two parts, the end 

 cleats fitting outside the case. The roofing 



Fig. 2. — Hives raised up to permit packing below. 



ing flat on the platform, holds moisture 

 and also rots the boards. My bottom-board 

 is half the length of the platform, so that, 

 when arranged for winter, it fits snugly in- 

 side the winter case, and a six-inch board 

 laid across in front of the hive provides 

 the channel to the outside of the case. 



Picture No. 2 shows the hives closed up 

 and raised off the platform for winter 



Fig. 3. — Rim in position ready for packing material 

 beneath the hives. 



packing. I find it worth while to keep a 

 shallow super under the brood-chamber both 

 winter and summer. 



Picture No. 3 shows the bottom rim of 

 the winter case in position, and the front 

 end of the bottom-board covered to give 

 a clear bee-space to the auger-holes in the 

 rim. 



Picture No. 4 shows the end panels in 

 position. The cleats on the end panels pro- 

 ject about four inches on the lower edge 

 and interlock with cleats on the sides of 

 the bottom rim, thus holding the end panels 

 in position as seen in the picture. The 

 cleats on the side panels are long enough 

 on the lower edge to catch inside the bot- 



Fig. 4. — End panels held in place by projecting 

 cleats which tit into sockets in the bottom rim. 



material is allowed to project two inches 

 on one of the halves so as to make a lap 

 joint at the peak and prevent rain or snow 

 from getting into the case. 



Picture No. 5 shows the winter cases in 

 position. The details of the construction of 

 the winter case have taken several years to 

 perfect; but now I seem to have gotten it 



Fig.- 5. — Winter eases in position. 



about to suit my taste, and shall have 78 

 in use this winter. A. Gordon Dye. 



Eochester, N. Y. 



[Two features in Mr. Dye's winter cases 

 should be emphasized: (1) The bottom rim 

 of the winter case (Fig. 3), together with 

 the method of raising the hives from the 

 floor, makes it unnecessary to lift the hives 

 from their summer stand to put the bot- 

 tom packing in place. (2) The projecting 

 cleats at the lower edge of the ends and 

 sides fitting behind cleats in the bottom rim 

 hold the ends of the winter case in position 

 (Fig. 4) before the side pieces are put in 

 place, so that one man can assemble the 

 case. — Editor.] 



