COMMENGINO BEE-KEEPING. 101 



hives are strongly recommended, the extra cost being 

 very little when the greater protection to the bees 

 both vpinter and summer is considered, as a means 

 towards obtaining full supers. Stocks in double- 

 walled hives are warmer in winter and cooler in 

 summer than those in single-walled hives. In favour 

 of single-walled hives, it has been remarked that the 

 rays of the sun in the early spring, penetrating the 

 thin walls, warm the brood-nest, but such walls afford 

 only moderate protection against the low temperature 

 of the nights in spring. The best progress is made 



Fig. 34. 



by a stock that is kept as nearly as possible at a 

 uniform temperature. Hence the supreme impor- 

 tance of good non-conducting walls around the brood- 

 nest. 



For a well-made hive with double-walls front and 

 back, the use of dummies being equivalent to double 

 walls at the sides, the cost will be about as follows : 

 floor-board, 2s. ; brood-chamber, with standard frames 

 and distance-keepers, 5s. ; two shallow-frame supers, 

 with frames and distance-keepers, 4s. each ; lift, Is. ; 

 roof, 2s. 6d. ; square of excluder zinc, Is. (Fig. 34) ; 

 foundation, 5s. 6d. ; swarm not less than 4 lbs., 14s. 



