10 



the other hand, has distinct advantages and is coming into general 

 use' in the Dominion. The most important point is to see that the 

 covers adopted by the beekeeper are not allowed to leak. Care should 

 be taken to paint well, and in districts where excessive rains are 

 experienced the roofs should be covered with zinc or waterproof 

 material. " Keep your bees dry " should be the slogan of all beekeepers. 



Fig. /\. — Wood Mat with Flat Zinc-covered Telescope Cover 

 Photo, F. A. Jacohsen.] 



Shallow Frames and Supers. 



Many beekeepers who go in largely for extracted honey now 

 adopt the shallow super containing half-frames, or frames having a 

 depth of about half the standard Hoffman frame. It is found that 

 these are much easier to handle, being lighter than a full super. It 

 is also claimed that such frames are much easier to uncap, as one 

 slice of the uncapping-knife will remove all the cappings. Another 

 advantage is that there is less need for queen-excluders, because the 

 queen seems less inclined to lay her eggs in the shallow combs. 

 Those intending to adopt such frames should, when purchasing the 

 extractor, see that the baskets are sufficiently large to hold two such 

 frames. Perhaps, however, the greatest advantage with these frames 

 is that room can be given more gradually in the spring, and the bees 

 are more inclined to work earlier in shallow supers. Also, they can 

 often be finished towards the end of the season, where full-depth 

 frames would be unfinished. 



A Cheap Frame Hive. 



Though there may not be much gained in the long-run by making 

 any other than good substantial hives in the first place, especially by 

 those who can construct their own, there may be settlers to whom 

 the question of saving a shilling or two upon each hive is a consider- 

 ation. In such cases the following directions for converting a benzine- 

 case into a frame hive of the same dimen'Sions as the standard 

 Langstroth, and which complies with the Apiaries Act, should be of 

 service : — 



Procure a complete and sound petrol-case and carefully take to 

 pieces. Then rabbet the ends on one edge to a depth of | in. by \ in. 

 to carry the frames. A tin rabbet should be nailed on the inside, to 

 stand I in. above, on which the frames wiU rest. Now cut the sides 

 so that they measure 20 in. Nail together, and this will give a hive 

 the inside dimensions of which are i8i in. by 14J in. by gf in. A loose 

 bottom-board may be constructed 24 in. by 15 in. wide. Nail on the 



