OR, MANUAI, OF THB APIARY. 223 



CI,OTH COVERS. 



After the season is over, and the weather becomes cold, 

 about the 20th of September, it is well to remove the honey- 

 board, and to cover above the bees with a piece of heavy factory 

 cloth, which thus forms the immediate cover for the bees in 

 winter. The section-case full of dry, fine sawdust has now 

 this cloth for its bottom, while the cover of the hive rests on 

 the section-case. 



It will be noted that I have made no mention in the above 

 of metal rabbets, or, more correctly, metal supports. I have 

 tried these for some years, and have usually recommended 

 them, but for the past several years I have omitted them, and 

 think I shall have no further use for them in my hives. If we 

 wish them we have only to cut the rabbet a little deeper and 

 tack inside the hive, just below the rabbet, a narrow strip of 

 heavy tin, which shall project a little above the wooden rabbet, 

 just enougfh to raise the top of the frame to within three- 

 eighths of an inch of the top of the hive. The advantages of 

 these are that they make a very narrow rest or support for the 

 frames, and so the latter are more easily loosened, and in care- 

 less hands are less apt to kill bees when put into the hives. It 

 is always easy, however, by means of a chisel to loosen frames, 

 and if we are often manipulating our bees, as when extracting 

 in summer, the frames are easily loosened without the metal 

 supports. Some apiarists make hives without rabbets, making 

 the frames to rest on the top of the hive. I have tried such 

 hives thoroughly, and wish no more of them. Of course, with 

 such hives the valuable honey-board and bee-spaces are im- 

 possible. 



THB NBW HBDDON HIVE. 



Mr. Heddon has patented and offered to the public a new 

 hive which combines in principle the L,angstroth and the 

 Huber. I have tried this hive only for a short time, and so, 

 guided by the rule I have always adopted, I do not recommend 

 it. Yet the experienced bee-keeper can often judge correctly 

 of what he has never tried, and I will add that I fully believe 

 this hive and the method Mr. Heddon gives of manipulation in 

 his valuable book, are well worth pur attention. Mr. Heddon 



