14 



PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPINn. 



Bar ritAaiK or Hive. 



the hive sides. The frames in the Woodbury hive are kept at a proper 

 distance from each other (li inches nearly from centre to centre) by 



falling into notches made 

 in the rabbet ; but these 

 notches are now almost, if 

 not quite, discarded as the 

 bees glue down the ends 

 of the frames so firmly 

 that the unaided fingers 

 are unable to remove 

 them, when they need be 

 wrenched out by some 

 lever, such as a screw- 

 driver, much to the dis- 

 turbance of the bees. The 

 frames do not touch the hive, except at the lugs, jin. intervening between 

 the outside of the frame and inside of the hive both at the sides and 

 bottom ; while the lid resting on the sides of the hive does not touch the 

 top bars by the same distance. Bees placed in such a hive would build 

 their combs probably in an irregular manner ; but if they can be obliged 

 to construct their waxen tracery within the frames, it is clear that lifting 

 out a frame will also bring a, comb with it which 

 may be inspected and returned. As bees are dis- 

 posed to begin their combs from any projecting edge, 

 Mr. Woodbury fashioned the top bar of his frames as 

 seen in Fig. 13. This will generally secure straight 

 building in the greater part of the hive. In a 

 subsequent chapter explanation wiU be given of 

 means of late introduction which make straight building throughout a 

 certainty. 



Bar frame hives demand for their eflcient handling a greater amount 



of intelligence than skepa, and 

 this renders their introduction - 

 amongst rural bee keepers a slow 

 work, but this is not the only 

 impediment to their universal 

 adoption. Frame hives are neces- 

 sarily more expensive than skeps. 

 To produce if possible a hive 

 giving mobility of combs with a, 

 price within reach of the cottager, 

 the British Bee Keepers' Association offered a prize for the cheapest hive 

 with frames. The prize was awarded to Mr. Abbott. This hive. Fig. 14, 

 is simply an unplaned ^in. deal box without bottom or top, Woodbury 



Fig. 13. 



!FiG. 14. Abbott Cottage Bak Frame HrvE, 



