86 -." A Modern Bee-Farm 



this entirely, in 1881 I adopted a crate with the bottom com- 

 posed of slats standing |-inch apart. When in position these 

 slats come close upon the frames, but at right angles to them ; 

 ■thus the bees have simply a number of small holes for passages 

 — about f-inch by ^-inch, which they are compelled to keep 

 open ; no brace combs are built in consequence, as those are 

 always continued from the wax that may be along the sides of 

 the frame bars, when the old plan is allowed. During the 

 twelve years I have used this style of crate I have had no 

 brace combs attached to my sections. 



Fig, 16 will give a good idea of the manner in-which the 

 said square passages are formed ; c being the bottom slats of- 

 the crate, and d the frame bars. 



But now having- the slats close upon the frames it will be 

 readily understood that a full-sized crate could not be used 

 without much inconvenience ; I therefore made it in two as 

 seen in Fig. 17, each holding twelve to fifteen sections, and 

 have had no more difficulty in removing one-half at a time 

 than in taking out a frame of comb. In replacing them a 

 gentle horizontal motion will cause every bee to run down out 

 of the way, though smoke first used will at once clear the 

 course. 



But perhaps the most important point with my twin crate, 

 is that as the central combs are completed, by simply turning 

 the outer row to the centre, the whole are finished off more 

 evenly and in less time, and thus the usual outside thin 

 sections are a thing of the past. 



With this class of crate I have generally used my bee 

 space sections giving their own passage under, but if the one- 

 piece section is used strips J-inch thick should be inserted for 

 the lower corners of the sections to rest upon. 



SECTIONS. 



The one-piece sections wherein the new comb-honey is 

 built are made in two forms, either with a bee space at top 



