MATERIALS FOR HIVES. 435 



thirds bees-wax, applied, when quite hot, with a common 

 shoe-brush; this will make it air-tight, by filling up all the 

 crevices, and will prevent the straws from separating, or ab- 

 sorbing moisture. The upper * surface of the spare honey- 

 board, may be fixed in the same way, and reversed in Win- 

 ter, so as 10 present the straw side to the bees. When the 

 bees are put into Winter quarters, most of the holes in this 

 board, may, in hives thus thoroughly protected, be left open, 

 and when it is covered loosely with straw, all excess of damp- 

 ness in the main hive, will pass off into the top cover, from 

 which it cannot possibly return , to annoy the bees. As soon as 

 the bees begin to fly out, in the Spring, these holes should be 

 carefully closed. If the spare honey-board is not covered 

 with matting, it may have, for Winter use, the space between 

 the clamps filled with straw, battened down, and may then 

 be reversed and set on the hive. 



I am aware that hives cannot be protected in this way, 

 without some extra expense, but no judicious bee-keeper 

 who once tries them, will ever be willing to return to the 

 common kind. If by using such extra protection, his colo- 

 nies, in the Spring, are only a week in advance t of those 

 in common hives, he will, in all ordinary seasons, be repaid 

 the extra cost, two or three times over. 



I would here remark, that in order to make the movable- 

 comb hives to the best advantage, it is absolutely necessary 



* If the under surface is covered with the matting, the bees mil be 

 much more likely to fill the shallow chamber between it and the 

 frames, with combs, thus making it more inconvenient to open the 

 hives. 



t " Only those swarms which came from the 1st to the 6th of June, 

 1853, gathered sufficient stores for ihe ensuing Winter. In this por- 

 tion of the Palatinate, the difference between abundance and scarcity 

 often depends on a very few days.'' (Werntz, Beinenzeitnng, 1854.)' 



