198 



AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



BAR-FRAMES IN PARTS. 



There was a. time when it was as essential for a bee-keeper to be 

 an amateur carpenter as an apiarist ; but the construction of hives 

 and frames by machinery has brought them within the reach of all. 

 The very school children, with their pocket and pin-money, can 

 now become the owners of as good, and in many cases better, bee- 

 hives than their seniors had to work with a few years ago. Not a 



decade since there were in use some of the most crudely constructed 

 hives and other bee appliances that we can possibly conceive of. 

 When the National Prizes were in distribution I met with some 

 that were as unworkable as they were grotesque, and the workman- 

 ship would cause an outburst of laughter among the members of 

 any of the carpentry classes of our public schools. Not a right- 

 angle in either hive or frame, and the joints were only such in 

 name. Some of the bee-keepers with these crude and! most 

 primitive appliances expected to score heavily in the competition. 

 Nevertheless, some of them actually obtained good results, but to 

 do so was a work of love. 



But this summary of hives would not be complete without a 

 detailed description of the various parts of both hive and frames. 

 Notwithstanding the accuracy in measurement and uniformity in 

 pattern of the various parts of the bee-home that are constructed 

 from machine-made goods, in some of our distant country districts 

 it is essential that patterns and measurements should be within 

 easy reach when required. Such details will also greatly aid in 

 putting together the various portions when the hives, &c, are 

 bought in the flat. 



The diagrams of the various patterns of frames that are and 

 have been in use, and also their measurements, are given. 



THE ORIGINAL LANGSTROTH PRAME. 



The most simple frame in its construction was the original 

 "Langstroth.?' "In 1851," says Professor Cook, "Mr. Langstroth 



