OR, MANUAI, OF THB APIARY. 223 



CLOTH COVERS. 



After the season is over, and the weather becomes cold, 

 about the 20th of September, it is well to remove the honey- 

 board, and to cover above the bees with a piece of heavy factory 

 cloth, which thus forms the immediate cover for the bees in 

 winter. The section-case full of dry, fine sawdust has now 

 this cloth for its bottom, while the cover of the hive rests on 

 the section-case. 



It will be noted that I have made no mention in the above 

 of metal rabbets, or, more correctly, metal supports. I have 

 tried these for some years, and have usually recommended 

 them, but for the past several years I have omitted them, and 

 think I shall have no further use for them in my hives. If we 

 wish them we have only to cut the rabbet a little deeper and 

 tack inside the hive, just below the rabbet, a narrow strip of 

 heavy tin, which shall project a little above the wooden rabbet, 

 just enoug-h to raise the top of the frame to within three- 

 eighths of an inch of the top of the hive. The advantages of 

 these are that they make a very narrow rest or support for the 

 frames, and so the latter are more easily loosened, and in care- 

 less hands are less apt to kill bees when put into the hives. It 

 is always easy, however, by means of a chisel to loosen frames, 

 Hnd if we are often manipulating our bees, as when extracting- 

 in summer, the frames are easily loosened without the metal 

 supports. Some apiarists make hives without rabbets, making- 

 the frames to rest on the top of the hive. I have tried such 

 hives thoroughly, and wish no more of them. Of course, with 

 such hives the valuable honey-board and bee-spaces are im- 

 possible. 



THB NBW HBDDON HIVB. 



Mr. Heddon has patented and offered to the public a new 

 hive which combines in principle the L<angstroth and the 

 Huber. I have tried this hive only for a short time, and so, 

 guided by the rule I have always adopted, I do not recommend 

 it. Yet the experienced bee-keeper can often judge correctly 

 of what he has never tried, and I will add that I fully believe 

 this hive and the method Mr. Heddon gives of manipulation in 

 his valuable book, are well worth our attention. Mr. Heddon 



