154 Domestic ANIMALS. 
According to the views of Mr. Harasti, a skillful bee-cultiva- 
tor, as quoted in the ‘‘ Farmer’s Encyclopedia,” a good bee-hive 
ought to possess the following properties: First, it should be 
capable of enlargement or contraction according to the size of 
the swarm. Secondly, it should admit of being opened with- 
out disturbing the bees, either for the purpose of cleaning it 
from insects, increasing or dividing the swarm, ete. Thirdly, 
it should be so constructed that the produce may be removed 
without injury to the bees. 
Fourthly, it should be internally 
clean, smooth, and free from cracks or flaws. All these prop- 
erties seem best united in the section-hive, which is constituted 
Fig. 53. 
A Szotronat Hive. 
size, so as to fit on to each other. 
of two, three, four, or more 
square boxes of similar size 
as to width, placed over 
each other. Such hives 
are cheap, and so simple 
that almost any one can 
construct them. 
The boxes A, B, 0, D 
may be made from ten to 
fourteen inches square and 
about five inches in depth, 
inside measure. Every 
bee-keeper should have his 
boxes made of the same 
Every hive must have a 
common top-board, a, which should project over the sides of the 
hive. The top-board of each section should have about sixteen 
holes bored through at equal distances from each other, and not 
larger than three fourths or smaller than four fifths of an inch. 
Or, instead of such holes, chinks of proper size may be cut | 
through to allow the bees to pass up and down, At the lower 
part of éach box or section, in front, there must be an aperture 
or little door, ¢, ¢, ¢, d, just high enough to let the bees pass, 
and about an inch and a half wide. 
The lowermost aperture, 
d, is to be left open at first, and when the hive is filled the upper 
