and its Economic Management. 133 



Figs. 05 and 06 ; the top bar of the former being f-inch 

 thick instead of the usual weak bar of only f-inch thick- 

 ness. The top bar may be either f-inch or i-inch wide, 

 the former being generally adopted. 



All covers must be painted on the lower edge and 

 two or three inches up underneath as well. The floor 

 requires painting at least three inches from the edge all 

 round both top and bottom, as also the bottom edges of 

 all compartments. This is too frequently omitted, when 

 the hive does not last a fourth of the time it should. So 

 long as all in sight is painted that is generally considered 

 sufficient, whereas the very parts left undone happen to 

 be the most vital, as it is at the joints that the wet settles 

 and soon causes mischief. 



Simmins' Thick Top bar. 



Having used a top-bar from f-inch to f-inch thick for 

 nearly a quarter-of-a-century, during the whole of which 

 period I have strongly condemned the thin f-inch bar 

 generally manufactured by hive-dealers, I am so strongly 

 convinced as to the superior advantages of the thick top- 

 bar that I must urge all to use no other. 



The thick bar is not so readily built over by the upward 

 extension of the comb, while I have frequently pointed 

 out that the queen is less likely to travel over it into the 

 supers, hence one reason why excluder zinc may be dis- 

 pensed with. I have carried out so 



Many Experiments with Frames 



in various styles that my readers may be assured the 

 plain frame |-inch wide is the best to adopt as herein 

 illustrated. Top bars varying from i-inch to i^-inch 

 have repeatedly been tried, only to be discarded as non- 

 practical. So also with wide ends, or close-fitting frames. 



