82 THE APIARY 



straw, sewed together; this contrivance is termed a 

 "hackle," and has a pretty appearance, particularly if a 

 number of hives are in a row. Care has to be exer- 

 cised that mice do not make the covering hive a resting- 

 place. Mortar is often used for fastening round the 

 hive at the bottom : this is a bad plan, as it forms a 

 harbour for insects ; the wooden hoop fits so close as to 

 leave little necessity for anything of the kind. 



The principle of the depriving system is so much the 

 same with all our hives, that a good deal of repetition is 

 necessary in describing in detail the management of 

 each separate variety. The object aimed at with the 

 cottager's hive, as, indeed, with all our hives, is to 

 provide a compartment for the bees to live in with their 

 queen, she being the mother of all. It is intended, by 

 inducing the queen to remain in her original apartment, 

 that all breeding should be there performed, as well as 

 the storing of bee-bread and honey, for the winter 

 sustenance of the bees. The cap hive, or upper cham- 

 ber, known as the ' ' super, ' ' is for the storing of honey, 

 which the bee-keeper looks upon as a surplus, and 

 which, at i^the close of the honey gathering, or as 

 soon as filled, he intends to deprive the bees of, and 

 appropriate to his own use, of course taking care 

 to leave sufficient in the lower or stock hive for winter 

 sustenance. 



The mode of stocking a hive of this kind is so 

 familiarly known, that any who at all understand the 



