188 The New Heddon Hive. 
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 years, and have usually recommended 
them, but for the past two 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 enough 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 careless 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, and 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 impossible, 
THE NEW HEDDON HIVE. 
Mr. Heddon has patented and offered to the public a new 
hive which combines in principle the Langstroth and the 
Huber, I have tried this hive only for a short time and so, 
guided by the rule I have always adopted, Ido not recom- 
mend 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 is so able that he rarely recom- 
mends what is not valuable. Several others have tried this 
hive and speak in the highest terms of its value. Among 
these are no less authorities than R. L. Taylor and W. Z. 
Hutchinson. At the beginning of this chapter I caution all 
against patent hives. This is necessary as so many frauds 
have been committed under this guise; but if Mr. Heddon 
