21 



Mcleni l.ue-krc.piiig is hascl on tliJK Mu-anry, U,r until the llcv. L. L. Laugstrotli 

 aiseovriva that tho hees will lill np a space h'ss tliaii :] in.'.li wide with propolis 

 aiul liuil.l .■on,l> in one la.-or than ;^ inch, a ninvahle fran.c was impossible. A 

 bee-space then is one that is not less than .] in.:h, nor njorc tlian ^- inch. It is 



hail .] iiii:h, nor more tliaii i; inch. It is 

 important that this fact be reiiiembered, for it ha 



— uiiich to do with practical bee- 

 keeping, and is the rea ' ■ ■ ■ 



than to attempt 



...w^., ^^^ .„ ii(„j iim^ii u,, i.n_, Yvini pracLicai oec- 



the reason M'hy it is better for the l)ee-keeper to buy factory-made goods 

 makeshifts i>f liis own eonstruetion. 

 The inside of ,.ur frame is tilled w ith wax comli, Mhich is made up of an innumer- 

 able namber of cells, at least .S,()00 on each side. Jii these cells is stored the food 





Fig. It). t^xaminin.i;" a Frann". 



supply of the colon}' ; in them are laid the eggs from which develop the young bees, the 

 whole time from infancy to maturity being spent in such narrow confines. Then in the 

 cold days of winter, when all activity in the hive practically ceases, when the individual 

 members huddle close togetlier to keep each other warm, each emptj' cell may be tilled 

 with an insect so that no space shall be unoccupied. The interior of a bee-hive is a 

 wonderful utilisation of a limited area, down to the minutest detail, and it is hard fur 

 most people to realise that in a capacity of aViout 2 cubic feet as many as 50,000 bees 

 will carry on all the activitie.s of their life, for here is at once a pantry, kitchen, 

 incubator, nursery, living-room and bedroom for them all. 



