134 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



ably tight again about the top of the 

 hive. The sun soon fries in the propolis 

 and wax adhering to the upturned side, 

 which helps to make it water proof. 

 Thorough painting of these covers on 

 both sides is quite a help, for this pre- 

 vents the under surface from absorbing 

 so much of the moisture from the ex- 

 halation of the bees and the evaporation 

 of nectar. I suspect a good cast or stamp- 

 ed metal cleat, instead of the wooden one 

 used, would be a great improvement. So 

 strong is the warping that often the end 

 cleats split to pieces. 



The Excelsior cover is but little better. 

 Its construction, wider end-cleats and two 

 or more boards instead of only one, re- 

 duce the tendency to warp. But even 

 the three-piece board will turn up at the 

 edges; or a twist causes a cover to lift, 

 making a bee outlet. Nor can this cover 

 be reversed when warped, as it must staj^ 

 until something happens to bring it back. 

 I have for years favored a double cover, 

 a thin cleated board that lies right on the 

 hive, and an outer one to shed water. 

 We have here what is known as the 

 "Colorado Cover." A thin inner cover 

 makes the hives bee tight, and a gable 

 roof placed on a rim that telescopes the 

 body about one-half of an inch by means 

 of a rabbet in the lower edge of the rim, 

 sheds rain. So far it is good, but not yet 

 the best. Instead of the telescope being 

 checked or stopped by the rabbet and the 

 roof resting on the hive body, it should 

 slip down far enough to rest on the inner 

 cover. If so made, the roof rests on the 

 cleats across the ends of the inside cover, 

 and thus by its weight, helps to hold the 

 inner one snugly to the body, yet is ven- 

 tilated because the cleats on the under 

 cover hold the roof up by their thick- 

 ness. 



But some one will say, just as well make 

 the roof and the inner cover in one, better 

 all in one cover and the ventilating space 

 between. There are several reasons for 

 having them separate. One may warp 

 and the other not, and thus the danger 

 of a leak is lessened for the one will help 



to straighten the other by its weight 

 However, the outer cover will not warp 

 so badly when not exposed to the damp- 

 ness within the hive; nor will the inner 

 cover warp so badly because it is not ex- 

 posed to the sun on its upper side. There 

 may be times, too, when we ma}' want to 

 leave off the inner cover and use a quilt 

 instead. It is almost, if not quite as 

 cheap, to make the covers separate as 

 well as together, and so made, the space 

 between the covers is where I keep the 

 colony record. 



THE BROOD CHAMBER. 



The same condition of extreme dryness 

 outside, and moisture within, causes the 

 hive ends and sides to warp. The walls 

 become concave on the outside, thus 

 making openings in the corners at top 

 and bottom, usually worst at the top. 

 The way the dovetailing is cut, makes 

 it impossible to nail the upper corner as 

 securely as the lower, and is one reason 

 why the upper pulls apart worse, 

 though not the only one. Go and 

 look at the corners of a Dovetailed hive, 

 and you will see that the rabbet that 

 makes the frame-rest, leaves a thin strip 

 standing up without any support except 

 its own strength. If you attempt to nail 

 through the side into this thin piece, you 

 have not sufficient body to take a nail 

 that will hold. 



Many years ago I made hives with 

 halved corners, and the rabbet that made 

 the frame-rest was just continued down 

 each end of the board, thus the thin edge 

 standing up past the frame-ends could be 

 nailed fast and solid into the ends of the 

 sides, and so made to stay. It often hap- 

 pens that those thin edges split off, but 

 when nailed as just indicated they are 

 much stronger. That top edge of the 

 hive end must be kept in place; but as 

 the hives are now cut, they will not stay 

 in this climate. The other danger of 

 breaking off by accident, such as a knock 

 against another hive, or prying over it to 

 start frames, applies to any climate. 



