BEE MANUAL. 115 



had been trying different forms of frame hives, but none pleased 

 me so well as the Langstroth. I finally adopted it in its most 

 simplified form as a ten-framed hiVe, and now, after seven 

 years' experience, I have the fullest confidence in recommending 

 it to all who require a good hive ; and this confidence is sup- 

 ported by the knowledge that it has given entire satisfaction to 

 all who have heretofore adopted it upon my recommendation. 

 Many thousands of these hives are now in use throughout 

 Australasia. It has practically become the standard for these 

 colonies, and that is another and a very urgent reason why it 

 should be adopted by beginners. I would not, however, wish 

 it to be supposed that I lay too much stress upon the form of 

 the frame or hive, or that the novice should entertain any idea 

 that success depends on the precise form of either. Without 

 intelligent management the best hive may be of no more value 

 to its owner than a common box. Bees may be kept in either ; 

 but it has been well observed that " everyone who keeps bees 

 is not necessarily a bee-keeper," the latter term as now used 

 being synonymous with " bee-master." 



There is one rule, in the correctness and importance of which 

 the advocates of every variety of hive will agree. Whatever 

 sort may be adopted, all the hives in the apiary should be the 

 same, and none other should be tolerated amongst them, except 

 of course for experimental purposes. 



GENEKAL DESCRIPTION. 



Fig. 38 gives a view of a complete Langstroth hive, as now 

 generally made and used in New Zealand. It consists of four 

 principal parts — the floor-board, the hive, or brood chamber, 

 the super, and the cover. The first two and the last are 

 indispensable parts of any hive ; the super may consist of a 

 whole story (same as the brood chamber), or of a half-story 

 or there may be two or even more supers between 

 the brood chamber and the cover. The outside dimensions of 

 the brood chamber and of the one-story super are 20J inches 

 by 16 inches, by 10 inches in height, including the rabbet, or 

 9f inches from joint to joint. The half-story supers are, of 

 course, the same in length and breadth, but only 5f inches in 

 height, including the Tabbet. The bottom, or floor-board, is 

 the same width as the brood chamber, but four inches longer ; 



