THE FRAME HIVE. 1 5 



away at the beginning of Spring, but unless very well made 

 and accurately fitted in its place, the disadvantages of the 

 movable floor-board are considerable. Over the hive is 

 the super cover and roof, which serves the twofold object of 

 covering the surplus honey receptacles and protecting the 

 hive from the weather. Just under the eaves of the roof 

 there should be two holes, each of one inch in diameter, at 

 opposite sides, so as to allow the passage of a through cur- 

 rent of air for ventilation. Unless the place on which the 

 hive is to stand is exceptionally dry, it should either have 

 legs or be placed on a stand about nine inches in height. 

 Hives placed on the ground are often destroyed by damp, 

 which is very injurious to the bees as well. Hives should 

 have at least three coats of hght-coloured paint, made with 

 genuine white-lead and linseed-oil, to protect them from the 

 weather, but in many cases it will be safer to buy the hives 

 unpainted, so as to be able to form an opinion as to the 

 quality of the wood used in the making, but they should 

 always be well painted before using. The price of a com- 

 plete hive ranges from about twelve shillings to fifty shillings 

 or more, according to the extras supplied with it. The dif- 

 ference in price between the straw and frame hives is more 

 apparent than real, as the former are seldom used for more 

 than a season or two, while the latter, if painted every second 

 year or so, will last an indefinite length of time, The writer 

 knows of a box hive in present use which was made in i8o5 

 for the grandfather of the owner. If the bee-keeper is able 

 to use carpenter's tools, and has spare time, it will be to his 

 advantage to buy a good hive, with frames, arid, using it as a 

 pattern, to make others from it. In doing this, he must be 

 very careful as to the measurements of the internal depth 

 and breadth, as any fault in this respect may prevent the 

 frames being interchangeable with those of other hives. A 

 good plan is to make a board 14]^ x 9 X i in. as a gauge, 

 which should pass freely through a hive of the proper 

 dimensions. The frames' are so cheap that it will not pay 

 to make them at home. In addition to the frames, it will 

 be well to have two division boards for the purpose of con- 

 tracting the interior of the hive, according to the require- 

 ments and size of the stock, when necessary. These boards. 



