22 



PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING. 



crown board. The former is simply placed upon the top of the frames. 



The ends of the frames 

 are beyond the reach of 

 the bees, and are con- 

 sequently not touched 

 with propolis, and so 

 may be handled without 

 grilling the fingers, but 

 they get seriously pro- 

 polised to each other 

 and to the hive, and 

 cannot be moved with- 

 out a most disquieting 

 jar, which much in- 

 creases the difioulty 

 of manipulating. The 

 frames, too, as found in 

 Mr. Abbott's, hire, oan- 

 = not conTcniently be 

 ! placed temporarily be- 

 " yond their normal dis- 

 tance from each other, 

 a considerable impedi- 

 ment as we shall pre- 

 sently see, whUe the 

 wood swelling and 

 shrinking, always makes 

 This latter defect we quickly 



Pig. 22. The Abbott Bar Fkame Hive. 



the frames either too loose or too tight. 

 removed by a simple device. 



The hives previously mentioned are known as supering hives, from the 

 Latin preposition super above, because by their use the surplus honey is 

 stored in boxes or glasses (supers) above the hive. Where the surplus 

 receptables are situated by the side of the stock-box or hive proper, the 

 latter is called a collateral hive. This style is not in general repute, and 

 requires no further notice in a short treatise like the present. But a, 

 little attention must now be given to a description of hive in general 

 estimation in Scotland, while it is a great favourite with many advanced 

 bee keepers south of the Cheviots. I allude to- the Stewarton, the stock 

 boxes and supers of which are all octagonal of the same measurement 

 horizontally, though differing somewhat in height. The top bars have a 

 special form given to them, so that their interspaces may be closed by a, 

 slide, making the top board unnecessary. Propolis, however, often makes 

 their removal difficult. The figure (Fig. 23) giving the end view of the bar 

 and slide will make the working of both sufficiently obvious. The octa- 



