126 Bottom and Alighting Boards. 



Connect these at one end by a board 4i inches wide and 

 as long as the hive is wide nailed firmly at the bottom 

 and into the ends and at the other end by a like board 

 nailed at the bottom We see (Fig. 42) this end piece 

 at the front of the hive nailed at the bottom so it rests 

 on the ground. At the opposite end a like piece is nailed 

 in the same way so that all is even on the bottom. 

 The body of the hive (Fig. 42, A) is 13 x 19S inches 

 outside measure the sides made of six-eighths inch, bot- 

 tom and cover of five-eighths, and ends of seven-eighths 

 inch lumber. The height of this plain box is j ast 10 

 inches ; that is it is made of boards ten inches wide. 

 The side boards are 19| inches long so that they nail 

 to the ends of the end-boards. The end boards are rab- 

 beted on top. This rabbet is cut three-eighths of an 

 inch deeper than the thickness of the top bar of the 

 frame. If the top bar is three-eighths of an inch thick 

 this rabbet should be six-eighths precisely. This is 

 very important, as we must have a three-eighths space 

 exact between the top bar and the top of the hive. In 

 making the hive ten and one-eighth (10£) inches high we 

 give a space of half-inch between the bottom of the 

 frame and bottom of hive. I like this wide space and 

 there is no objection to it. Near the top of the hive, 

 we nail narrow cleats entirely around it ; these strengthen 

 the hive, and are convenient supports by which to lift 

 the hive. 



The entrance is cut in the end of the hive (Fig. 42), and 

 the size is easily regulated by use of the Langstroth tri- 

 angular blocks (Fig. 42, B. B). Thus we may gauge the 

 size to our liking. The opening in the bottom board 

 (Fig. 38) is preferred by many. This is enlarged oi 

 restricted by simply pushing the hive forward or back, 

 and of course can only be used with lose bottom boards. 

 The fact that most bee-keepers nail the bottom board 

 firmly and cut the opening from the hive, argues that 

 this on the whole is the better style. For shipping and 

 moving bees the nailed bottom boards are very desira- 

 ble ; for quick cleaning of the hives when spring opens, 

 the movable bottoms are preferable. 



There should never be but this one opening. Augur 



