BEES, BEE-HIVES, AND BEE CULTURE. 35 



This cover hive may be made fast by driving in two skewers, one on 

 either side, to keep the whole firm. Unless placed in a bee-house or 

 under a shed, the outside should be painted ; or a piece of oil-cloth 

 or waterproof covering of any kind shaped so as to shoot off the 

 rain, will save the trouble of paint, and answer the purpose. If no 

 protection of this sort is used, the rain is likely to rot the straw. 

 As a covering cottagers often use straight stiff thatching 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 exercised 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 chamber, 

 known as the " super," is for the storing of honey which the bee- 

 keeper looks upon as a surplus, and which, at 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 aU understand the hiving of bees into a common 

 straw hive, can make no mistake or find any difficulty in performing 

 it. Lest these pages should fall into the hands of persons who are 

 not so acquainted, we will refer them to the directions already given. 



The hive may be smeared inside with a httle honey if at hand ; 

 but this is unimportant, as a clean hive answers well. Some 

 older bee-keepers prefer to give a little dressing to encourage the 

 bees to like their new home. 



After the swarm has been in the hive two weeks, the straw 

 super hive may be put on, first removing the straw mat to give the 



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