FRAME HIVES. 99 
on the process of artificial swarming upon the precise 
scale adapted to the populaticn of any given hive. 
Even the frameless bars secured these ends, but they 
were far less convenient and complete, from their 
failure to hold the combs compact for extraction, or 
to prevent their being affixed to the sides of the hive. 
Yet even of these Mr. Taylor could correctly write, 
“‘The convenience of movable bars can only be appre- 
ciated by those accustomed to their use.” 
Outer Covering.—For the complete covering of hives 
of the box form, Mr. Taylor gives the following instruc- 
tions: ‘‘ These boxes, like all wooden hives, should 
be placed in a house of some kind, if possible; but 
instances occur where such a convenience is not 
available. To meet these, I will describe a substitute, 
which gives effectual protection, though it would still 
be better standing under a shed. A recurrence to the 
engraving in the next page will show that our plan com- 
prises an outer casing, in two compartments, and 
surmounted by a top cover or roof. They may be of 
half-inch wood, large enough in the square to drop 
loosely over the boxes, the lower compartment resting 
upon the rabbet of the hive-board, which may be made 
as shown at page 75, and wide enough to leave, on 
three sides, an outside margin of an inch. On the 
front side a rather more extended margin may be 
expedient. The height of the lower compartment, 
measuring from the rabbet of the floor board, reaches 
to the top of the stock-box, except just as much 
as will allow the slides to pass over its edges. A 
good-sized elliptical opening faces the mouth of the 
hive; or increased to two, where there is a second 
H 2 
