THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 17 



CHAPTEE IV. 



OF STRAW COTTAGE HlVJblS— THEIR SHAPE, SIZE, AMD CONSTRUCTION. 



The bee master, who has safely reared an autumn-purchased stock 

 through the winter, or procured one in the spring, as well as the cot- 

 tager who is on the look out for an early swarm, will, with the arrival 

 of April, be making preparations for suitably accommodating with 

 hive room the expected addition to their cares. The old cottage bell 

 hive it will be well to discard altogether, as being wholly unsuited to 

 an improved and profitable system of bee management. "What kind 

 of bee domicile, however, shall be substituted in its place is a matter 

 of some difficulty to determine, owing to the multitude and the varie- 

 ty of hives which one author and another have put forward with all 

 the earnestness of self-recommendatory enthusiasm. Most apiarians 

 have each their own favorite hive — favorite, because in some way or 

 other modified and improved according to their peculiar fancy. Of all 

 that I have either seen or heard of, the most suitable for cottagers on 

 the ground of cheapness and simplicity, is, I think, Mr. Payne's hive. 

 I have but one objection to it, on the score of size. It is, I think too 

 small for single stock hives, kept for swarming purposes, and too large 

 for a doubled or storified colony. For the former, I would recommend, 

 instead of twelve inches in diameter by nine inches high, not less than 

 fifteen inches in diameter, inside measure, by'eight inches high. This 

 size will do for any kind of system, where strong swarms are an object 

 of attainment. 



For myself, as will be seen in the plan of *bee management explain- 

 ed in the following chapter, I aim at separating the breeding from the 

 remunerating business of the apiary, by encouraging the process of 

 breeding in one, hive of large size, (which hive is kept on from year 

 to year for this purpose alone,) and the harvesting of honey in 



B 



