48 HIVES. 



It now remains to make the top, cover, and boxes, 

 (the bottom-board will be described in another chap- 

 ter.). The tops should be all alike; boards fifteen 

 inches square are just the right size ; three-fourths of 

 an inch is the best thickness, (inch will dp ;) plane the 

 upper side, rabbet out around the edge of the upper 

 side one inch wide, and three-eighths deep ; this will 

 leave the top inside the rabbeting, just thirteen inches. 



SIZE OF CAP AND BOXES. 



A box for a cover or cap, that size inside, will fit 

 any hive. The height of this box should be seven 

 inches. Of course other sizes will do, but it is best to 

 ^commence with one that we can adhere to uniformly, 

 and no vexations arise by covers not fitting exactly, &c. 

 I think this size is as near correct as we shall be likely 

 to get ; we want all the room in the boxes that the ma- 

 jority of our stocks demand for storing in a yield of 

 honey,* at the same time not be necessitated to give 

 too much of the room in the height. They will com- 

 mence work in a box five inches high, much sooner 

 than one seven or eight. To give the requisite room, 

 and have the boxes less than five inches high, would 

 require more than thirteen inches on the top, this 

 would make the hive too much out of shape ; it would 

 appear top-heavy. 



minbb's hive. 

 Miner's Equilateral Hive has a cap somewhat small- 

 er than this in diameter; consequently, if we have the 



* I have added a side box occasionally, but it bas seldom paid m« 

 for the trouble. 



