184 miner's AMERICAN 



the extra trifle that it will cost to have the windows 

 made. 



The cost of making my ornamental hives is no more 

 than the common chamber hive ; and the difference in 

 appearance is very great. Nothing could exceed the 

 beauty of a row of these hives handsomely arranged 

 on a well-made platform, or on stools suitably con- 

 structed, and with a tasty roof to protect them from the 

 heat of the sun at noonday, which is all that hives re- 

 quire. I am strongly opposed to close bee-houses, as 

 the reader will learn by my remarks on that point here- 

 after. 



My equilateral hive is intended to rest on a floor- 

 board, beveled on its sides as before alluded to, and pro- 

 jecting two or three inches all round the hive. The 

 small entrance for the bees seen in front,-is for use in 

 winter, and during cold spring weather. In the sum- 

 mer, the hive rests on four small pinions or legs, three- 

 eighths of an inch high, as represented in describing the 

 box-hive at page 153. When it is necessary to lower 

 down the hive, the legs are let into small holes in the 

 floor-board made expressly to receive them, and very 

 near to the position of them, when the hive is raised up 

 as it stands during the summer. 



The full particulars of every part of this hive cannot 

 be given here, and do justice to myself It is a true 

 saying, that " the laborer is worthy of his hire." The 

 production of this hive has caused me much mental 

 labor, and I think that I am justly entitled to reap the 



