42 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 



of wood left to hold top and side bar tog-ether is then more likely to 

 break. When the opening extends clear across, as in the four-piece 

 section, the combs are more completely built out and attached to the 

 top and bottom bars. The top and bottom bars of sections ought to 

 be yi of an inch narrower than the side-bars. Usually, the top and 

 bottom bars of sections are too wide, leaving too narrow openings be- 

 tween them. To put the matter in a few words, the one-piece, 

 although possessing some faults, is cheaper and can be put together 

 quicker than the four-piece, which costs more, but is fan If /ess. 



There is also another point that is coming rapidly to the front, 

 and that is the scarcity of basswood timber. Possibly the same may 

 be true of white poplar, but there are other white woods, hard maple, 

 for instance, from which four-piece sections can be made. 



The standard size of sections is 4'4^ x4!i inches; at least, this 

 has been the standard for manjf years, and I think is yet, but there 

 is considerable eifort to place upon the market, and secure the 

 adoption, of a tall section — about 4x5 inches. Its chief advantage is 

 in being more pleasing to the eye — possibly in conveying the im- 

 pression that it contains more honey than a square form having the 

 same amount of surface. Our windows, our books, our pictures, etc., 

 are made oblong instead of square, because they are more pleasing 

 to the eye, and, for the same reason, a tall section presents a more 

 pleasing appearance than a square one, but I do not consider this 

 point of sufficient importance to warrant a bee-keeper in changing 

 his fixtures in order that he may use the tall section. 



Thus far, in this chapter, we have been considering what are 

 called "bee-way" sections, those in which the bees gain access to 

 them through insets, or "bee-ways," cut in the top and bottom bars 

 of the sections, but, of late, there has been introduced a new style, 

 called the "plain" section, in which there are no insets, it being the 

 same width all the way around. Sections of this style are held bee- 

 space apart, and the bees admitted, by the use of what are termed 

 "fence" separators, from their resemblance to a board fence. A 

 fence separator is formed of slats about 's of an inch in thickness, 

 held a bee-space apart by cleats glued, or nailed, in an upright 

 position to their sides. These cleats, or posts, are of such a thick- 

 ness, and placed at such a distance apart, upon each side of the 

 separator, that the edges of the side bars to the sections come 

 against them, and are thus held out bee-space from the slats. 



The principal advantage of plain sections and fence-separators 

 is that the freer communication thus allowed the bees induces them, 

 from some reason, to build out the combs fuller g,round the edges 

 and corners, and attach them more perfectly to the sections. This 



