PROTECTION. 123 



fer not only to make the sides of my hive of glass, but of 

 double glass, with an air space of about an inch between the 

 two panes of glass. The extra cost* of this construction 

 will be amply repaid by the additional protection given to 

 the bees. It will be absolutely impossible for any frost ever 

 to penetrate through this air space, and the packing between 

 the outside case and the main hive. The combs in such a 

 hive cannot be melted down, even if the hive is exposed to 

 the reflected and concentrated heat of a blazing sun : the 

 same construction which secures them against the cold of 

 Winter, equally protecting them from the heat of Summer. 

 There is one disadvantage to which all well protected hives 

 of the ordinary construction, are exposed. In the Spring of 

 the year, it is exceedingly desirable that the warmth of the 

 sun should penetrate the hives, to encourage the bees in 

 early breeding ; but the very arrangement which protects 

 them from cold, often interferes with this. A bee-hive is 

 thus like a cellar, warm in Winter, and cool in Summer ; but 

 often unpleasantly cool in the early Spring, when the atmos- 

 phere out of doors is warm and delightful. In my hive, 

 this difficulty is easily remedied. In the Spring, as soon as 

 the bees begin to fly, on warm, sun-shiny days, the upper 

 part of the outside case is removed, so that the genial heat 

 of the sun can penetrate to every part of the hive. The 

 cover must be replaced while the sun is still shining, so that 

 the hives may be shut up while they are warm. The labor 

 of dbing this, need occupy only a few minutes daily, and 

 as soon as warm weather fairly sets in, it may be dispensed 



* The cost of the glass for one hive so as to give the air space all 

 around, if purchased at the wholesale prices will not exceed 25 cts. 

 Where three hives are made in one structure, the glass for the three 

 will cost less than 50 cents ; if double glass is not used, the expense 

 would be less by one half. 



