HIVES. 53 



clean, white pieces you can, when removing combs 

 from a hive. ^ 



If you have any way superior to this for making 

 glass boxes, so much the better, make them so by all 

 means : " The best way is as good as any." I give my 

 method to be used only when better is "not convenient. 

 If you sell honey, I think you will find it an advantagei 

 to have glass boxes made in some way. Two bf this 

 size when full weigh 25 lbs. If preferred, four boxes 

 six and three-eighths inches square, can be used for a 

 hive instead of two ; the expense of making is a little 

 more for the same number of lbs., yet, when it is in 

 market, a few customers will prefer this size. 



WOOD BOXES. 



For home consumption, the wood-box will answer 

 equally well for all purposes of obtaining the honey, 

 but will give no chance to watch the progress of the 

 bees, unless a glass is inserted for the purpose, and then, 

 it win need a door to keep it dark, or a cover over the 

 whole like the one for glass boxes, may be put on. 

 Wood boxes are generally made with open bottom, and 

 set on the top of the hive. A passage for the bees out 

 of the box to the open air is unnecessary, and worse 

 than useless. They like to store their honey as far 

 from the entrance as possible. Unless crowded for 

 room, they will not store much there when such en- 

 trances are made. 



Whether we intend to consume our surplus honey 

 or not, it is as well to have the hives and covers made 

 in a manner that we can use glass, when we are likely 



