and its Economic Management, 235 



lighter hive need not go to much expense in giving the method 

 a trial, and need not alter their existing hives in the least. 



With populous colonies there is no advantage in wintering 

 two clusters of bees close together, though it may be done; 

 with the smaller hive if desired. The extra furniture required 

 will be a small-hole perforated divider, placed as an adapter 

 between each brood chamber until the bees are considered 

 mutually good tempered. These boards will then be removed 

 and excluder zinc adapters inserted. The entrances to both, 

 may remain open, or the lower one only left, as found most 

 convenient. In the latter case it will be observed that where 

 the lower chamber is provided for prevention of swarming, 

 and a queen excluding board also placed between it and the 

 first brood chamber, that the queens are each confined to their 

 own compartment, and can not be lost even if the bees do on 

 any occasion swarm out. 



My own objection to perforated zinc has been explained 

 again and again, and I am prepared to assert that better 

 results are to be obtained without its use. One good queen 

 can supply more brood than' is generally wanted, and the 

 whole question turns simply upon the proper amalgamation of 

 forces at the right time. 



Dropping Floors. 



Mr. Wells considered his hives were not quite suitable for 

 working double stocks, and therefore one can not be surprised 

 to find him advocating a floor such as was generally fitted to 

 the first bar-frame hives introduced, with legs attached to the 

 walls. The floor was secured by means of long wedge-like 

 pieces of wood inserted at each side, and when these were 

 removed of course it dropped directly upon the ledges. The 

 only reason why Mr. Wells appears to require this dropping 

 floor is to accommodate an excess of bees just after imiting 

 any two stocks into one, but this requisition simply shews 



