THOUSAND ANSWERS 115 



but, as the dryest lumber you are likely to get will shrink some- 

 what, it is better to make the depth 9>4. The super has the same 

 length and width as the hive. Its depth depends upon what it 

 contains. If it is an extracting-super, it will be the same as the 

 hive-body, provided the frames are to be the same as those in 

 the brood-chamber. In any case, the depth of the extracting- 

 super will be one-fourth inch more than the depth of the frame 

 to be used in it, allowance to be made for shrinkage, if there is 

 to be any shrinkage. The depth of the section-super must be 

 such that th^re shall be one-fourth inch space left at the top of 

 the super. 



The frame is 175^ by 9]4, outside measure. Width of top-bar 

 varies from Ij^ down to %; and the same may be said of end-bars 

 and bottom-bar. Some have the same width as the top-bar, and 

 some have them narrower. In any case, the frames are generally 

 spaced so that the distance from center to center shall be l}i, 

 although some prefer V/^. With the spacing U^, there is plenty of 

 room for a thin dummy or follower beside the frames. 



Q. What are the exact measurements of a 10-frame hive, in- 

 side measure? 



A. Unfortunately, there are no ''exact measurements" that 

 all makers have always used in making hives to take 10 frames 

 of Langstroth size. The depth of the frames being 9% inches, if 

 % inch be added to that to make a beespace, we would have 9J^ for 

 the depth of the hive. But a very little shrinkage would make 

 bad work, and to make sure against that, the hive is made 9j4 

 inches deep. The length of the- frame is 175^, and if 54 inch be 

 added at each end we would have 18J^ for the length of the hive. 

 But that makes very close work, and bees are not much inclined 

 to build at the ends of the hive, so the length is not less than 

 19%. For an 8-frame hive I think there is general agreement on 

 12ys for the width. That allows 11 inches for the 8 frames spaced 

 15^, and l}i inches for a dummy 5^ thick, with a space each side 

 of it. If we add twice 15^, or 2}^ inches, for two additional 

 frames, we would have 14% for the width of a 10-frame hive. But 

 for some reason that never seemed satisfactory to me, the dummy 

 is generally omitted in 10-frame hives, and they are made 14J4 

 inches wide. So I think we may say, as nearly as we can come 

 to standard, that the inside measurements of the 10-frame hive 

 are, 18^xl4^x9j^. As a side remark, I may say that I think 



