APPLIANCES. 27 



centre to centre of combs should be isHrin. — of which there used 

 to be a great variety on the market. To commence, we must 

 note that the most ancient were pieces of wood taclced on each 

 side of the ends ; or else they were cut out of the sohd wood, 

 to form half-space — the frames resting on zinc runners in the 

 hive. The next advance (?) was having the full space blocks 

 on each end of opposite sides of the bar. This, in our opinion, 

 was a retrograde step, although it is used at the present time 

 by some ; but their disadvantages are being gradually found 

 out. At about the same time wire staples were introduced, but 

 these are a poor contrivance at the best. A great advance was 

 made by the introduction of metal ends, and no bee-keeper 

 who has used these will ever revert to the former contrivances. 

 At the present time no end can bear comparison in any way 

 with that known as the "W.B.C." end. This is made of sheet 

 tin, stamped and folded by machinery. Though answering the 

 purposes, in the most effective manner, for which a metal end 

 is so necessary, yet, owing to the ingenious way in which it is 

 manufactured, it weighs less than if the ends of the frames 

 were made of wood. 



48. Supers. — The varieties are legion. In a box, no matter 

 of what material made, the bees will store their surplus honey ; 

 but as this work is intended solely for the advancement of 

 modern bee-culture, we will confine ourselves to a descrip- 

 tion of those supers used by advanced apiarists, not only on 

 account of their simplicity, or ease in management, but also for 

 their adaptability to the production of honey in the most saleable 

 forms. 



49. Section Frames. — Broad frames were at one time 

 used for what was called back-supering. They were of a size 

 to take six 4i by 4J sections ; but these frames are rapidly going 

 out of use in England, as all advanced bee-keepers "tier-up" 

 their hives, instead of supering laterally. The former has been 

 found to be much the better plan, and it is a good principle to 

 obtain surplus honey solely from above the brood-nest, allowing 

 the bees to keep what they store in the body-box for the winter. 

 There is a popular section frame, which forms part of what is 

 known as the "W.B.C." hanging frame section box; but these 

 frames are for use above the brood-nest. This super, which 

 enables one to obtain sections that are free from propolis and 

 brace-comb, say for exhibition purposes, holds seven frames, each 

 of which takes three sections, and between each frame there is 

 a separator. 



50. Skep Super.— We have until the present given only a 

 description of bar frame hives and their adjuncts ; but here, as 

 the old-fashioned bee-keeping becomes merged into the modern — 

 a sort of connecting link — we illustrate a super adapted to skeps 



