§v.] NEIGHBOURS' COTTAGE HIVE. 115 



a hoop is worked into the straw, and is sufficiently large 

 to allow the cover to drop over the crown-board, keeping 

 the whole close, and preventing wet from drifting in. 

 A zinc ventilator, ornamentally painted, forms the apex : 

 this is useful in letting the confined hot air pass away in 

 warm weather. The ventilator is opened by raising it. 

 The lower or stock hive is fifteen inches in diameter and 

 nine and a half in depth outside ; its weight, when empty, 

 is seven pounds and a half. The cover, or top hive^ is 

 twelve inches deep and fifteen inches in diameter ; the 

 ornamental zinc top being four inches deep. The whole 

 is about twenty-four inches high. The weight of a hive 

 packed, including glasses, is about eighteen pounds. 



These hives have a tasteful appearance in the garden, 

 but they require some further protection from the weather 

 in the form of a cover or of a bee-house — contrivances 

 that have yet to be described. In extreme cold weather 

 a little additional protection, by having matting folded 

 round them, will be advisable. 



One of the advantages of this and the preceeding hives 

 over the ordinary cottage hive is that they afford ready 

 opportunity for the humane management of bees. The 

 bell glasses also give the owner the power of taking honey- 

 comb of pure quality, free from the extraneous matter 

 known as " bee-bread," instead of combs that are darkened 

 by having brood hatched in them. By this system we 

 have combs newly made and used only for depositing 

 the honey first put into them : hence the name " virgin 



