24 



THE BOOK. OF BEE-KEEPING. 



forms a rest for the frames to hang upon, as the annexed 

 sectional illustration shows. The outer wall, being iiin. high, 

 reaches above the tops of the frames just over 2in., and thus forms 

 a space for packing the quilts on the top of the latter. Some 

 bee-keepers do not care for this space, using the riser to provide 

 packing accommodation instead, but we prefer it as illustrated. The 

 frames (see p. 26), ten in number, hang in the hive one behind the 

 other from front to back, and are kept at a proper distance apart 

 by distance-keepers called " metal ends," which fit on to the " lugs " 

 of the frames. If you will compare the size of a frame with the 

 dimensions given above for the inside of the body-box you will 

 find that there is a space of Jin. between the sides of the hive 

 and the end-bars of the frames, and a space of fin. between 

 the bottom bar of same and the floor-board of the hive ; 

 this is the " bee - space," allowing the bees access to any 



of the combs or to any 

 part of the hive proper. 

 Behind the last frame is 

 a division, sometimes 

 called a ''dummy" 

 board ; this fits the inside 

 of the hive, that is, it is 

 i44in. across and 84in. 

 deep. It has a top bar 

 nailed on as a frame has, 

 and is cleated at both 

 ends to prevent warping. 

 By inserting this at any 

 part of the body-box, 

 from back to front, the 

 capacity of the latter can be adjusted to suit the requirements 

 of the bee-keeper. The front wall of the body-box is fin. shallower 

 than the back, but is nailed in position flush with the top edges of 

 the other three walls ; thus an entrance is formed fin. high right 

 across the hive at the bottom. Above the entrance is a piece of 

 wood "rabbeted" for the two slides (A) to run in. The slides are 

 used for adjusting the size of the entrance. A porch, having a 

 water gutter along its front edge, keeps the rain from blowing 

 in the entrance. The alighting board should be broad, reaching 

 within a short distance of the ground. 



The next figure in the illustration (p. 23) above the body-box is 

 the "riser." This consists simply of four pieces of i'm, (not 

 thicker) wood nailed together for the purpose of covering the 

 supers when on the hive. It is made just a shade larger than 

 the body-box, so that when the plinths are nailed on the bottom 

 edges, they just fit over the outside edges of the latter, and 

 thus make the junction weather-tight. This must fit fairly 

 loose, so there will be no diflSculty in lifting it on or off 

 during wet weather. Any moisture causes the wood to swell to 



Sectional View of Body-box of Frame Hire 

 witli Frame adjusted. 



