52 PLEASUBABLE BEE-KEEPING. 



of little use, and therefore, in order that each class of 

 bee-keeper may receive benefit by the perusal of this 

 work, three styles of hives on the different systems of 

 bee-culture will be described. All hives are kept on 

 the fixed or movable-comb principles. 



Fixed-comb Hives. 



The straw skep. The original dome or conical- 

 shaped skep is fast going out of fashion, as the manu- 

 facturers of straw hives find the demand now wholly 

 for those of a more modern pattern, upon which 

 supers may be used. In such receptacles the surplus 

 honey may be stored in its purity, and remain free 

 from any contamination. Fig. 10 shows the parts 

 required to manage bees properly on the skep system. 



The floor-board should be made of stout boards 

 and clamped to prevent warping. If the alighting- 

 board, which should project at least four inches and 

 be slightly bevelled, be fixed under the floor-board, the 

 entrance may be cut in the latter, as shown. This is 

 preferable to cutting away a part of the lower rim of the 

 hive, in order to form the entrance. The hive (a) is 

 termed the brood-chamber, because it is the hive in 

 which brood-rearing is to be solely carried on. The 

 queen does frequently enter the super and spoil the 

 combs by depositing in them eggs, but that is 

 generally due to bad management. The dimensions 

 of the brood-chamber and supers here given will be 

 found to produce a hive suitable for any ordinary 

 district. 



If this system of bee-keeping is adopted, one brood- 



