MANUAL OP THE APIARY. 251 



(Fig. 101, b) is three feet by two and a half feet, the south 

 (Fig. 101, b), three feet by two, and made the same as are the 

 sides. The slanting top of the sides (Fig. 101, a, a) is made 

 by using for the upper board, the strip formed by sawing 

 diagonally from corner to corner a board six inches wide and 

 three feet long. The cover (Fig. 101, (/), which is removed 

 in the figure, is large enough to cover the top and project one 

 inch at both ends. It should be battened, and held in one 

 piece by cleats (Fig. 101, h) four inches wide, nailed on to 

 the ends. These will drop over the ends of the box, and thus 

 hold the cover in place, and prevent rain and snow from 

 driving in. When in place this slanting cover permits the 

 rain to run off easily, and will dry quickly after a storm. 

 By a single nail at each comer the four sides may be 

 tacked together about the hives, when they can be packed 

 in with straw (Fig 101), which should be carefully done if 

 the day is cold, so as not to disquiet the bees. At the centre 

 and bottom of the east side (Fig. 101, c), cut out a square 

 eight inches each way, and between this and the hive place 

 a bottomless tube (the top of this tube is represented as 

 removed in figure to show entrance to hive), before putting 

 around the straw and adding the cover. This box should be 

 put in place before the bleak cold days of November, and 

 retained in position till the stormy winds of April are passed 

 by. This permits the bees to fly when very warm weather 

 comes in winter or spring, and requires no attention from the 

 apiarist. By placing two or three hives close together in 

 autumn — i/et never move the colonies more than three or 

 four feet at any one time, as such removals involve the loss 

 of many bees — one box may be made to cover all, and at less 

 expense. Late in April these may be removed and packed 

 away, and the straw carried away, or removed a short distance 

 and burned. 



CHAFF HIVES. 



Messrs. Townley, Butler, Eoot, and others, prefer chaff 

 Lives, which are sijmply double-walled hives, with the four or 

 five inch chambers filled with chaff. The objection to these 

 I take to be : First, Danger that so limited a space would 

 not answer in severe seasons ; Second, That such cumbrous 



