10 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and with the knowledge acquired in many j-ears ' work with the bees, 

 was abk"' to accomphsh what had not before been done. 



In the Adair hive the queen had the run of ah the combs (about 

 tA\'ent}').; in the Latham hive she is confined to the seven at the 

 front, being kept from the others by a sheet of the queen-excluding 

 metal. (See Figure 4j. 



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r ) :( ) r 



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Fig. 4. — Excluder Jletal. 



These hives are realh' the tools of a high class specialist and while 

 they will often succeed in the hands of a novice, their continued and 

 uniform success on the minimum of labor plan calls for the knowledge 

 onl)^ to be gained by long and careful observation of bees and their 

 ways. 



These are special hives which must be made to order. The frames 

 are nearly five inches tlecpcr than the standard Langstroth frame and 

 these frames also have to be made to order. The top bars and end 

 bars of the frames touch the whole length when the frames are in 

 place in the hive, so that the Ix'cs can only pass out at the bottom. 

 Beveled cleats are nailed along the lower inside corners of the hive and 

 against these the bottom corners of the frames touch, keeping the bees 

 from going behind the frames and A'irtually making a box within a box. 

 The tops of the frames are about an inch below the top edge of the 

 hive and Mr. Latham uses a few layers of newspapers and a thin 

 wooden cover on top of the frames. The cover proper has a three 

 inch rim and fits down over the hive. Hive body and cover are 

 covered with heavy waterproof paper, black in color. The entrance 

 which is an inch high, is guarded by a row of fine wire nails driven 

 up through the floor. These are spaced far enough apart to permit 

 the bees to pass freelj^ and yet prevent the ingress of mice. 



