26 THE BOOK OF BEE-KEEPING. 



made of i'm. stuff, and fits over the lift. This hive will accom- 

 modate three tiers of section-racks or two of shallow frame supers. 

 A hive which is very popular, and deservedly so, is that known 

 as the "W.B.C." hive, its principal feature being a stock box 

 which is separate from an outer cover. The facilities for keeping 

 the brood-nest dry and warm are therefore all that can be desired. 

 Moreover, when supering there is plenty of room for wrapping up 

 the stock box and super, a matter which is of great importance, 

 since bees are reluctant to go into a draughty super. 



44. Dummy-boards. — All dummy-boards to hives should be 

 prevented from warping by having battens, or end pieces of wood, 

 nailed on in an opposite direction to the grain of the wood. The 

 boards are preferably made with cushions on each edge, preventing 

 sticking, and adapting them to any inequalities of the hive. 



45. Quilts. — We are strong advocates of enamel (American) 

 cloth quilts next the frames, placing them on with the enamel 

 side down. They are quite a boon, especially with very 

 irritable bees, removal being comparatively easy — so different 

 to woven material, which is usually fixed so firmly by the bees that 

 they become irritated before one can remove it from off the 

 frames. When using these quilts, it is essential that plenty of 

 warm coverings be placed above them, and that the stocks be 

 very strong, or the condensation of the atmosphere will produce 

 too much dampness. In the matter ot quilts one cannot err on 

 the side of too large a quantity or too great a thickness in the 

 winter time. 



46. Fram.e3. — As before recommended, all frames should be 

 the Association standard size ; the illustration will give you this. 

 All are outside measurements. The top bar is |in. thick, the side 



bars Jin., and the bottom 



,__. 17". --.. bar ^in. Shallow frames 



i are frequently used for 

 extracting purposes ; these 

 are simply made like 

 brood-frames, but shal- 

 lower, 54in. from top to 

 bottom bar. The object 

 is that a whole set of these 

 combs may be placed on 

 The Association Standard Frame, with a hive without a too 

 Metal Ends, sudden or great enlarge- 



ment, which would be the 

 case if a set of standard frames were placed on in a like manner. 



47. Frame Spacing.— It is the custom of many advanced 

 bee-keepers to space their frames in the hive by the eye, 

 assisted with the tips of the fingers ; this can easily be done 

 with a little practice, but it is not advisable for beginners to 

 attempt this. All should use distance-keepers — the distance from 



