THE HIVE OP GELIEU. 247 



hives, leaving the experimental apiarian to adopt that which 

 is the most agreeable to his taste. 



THE HIVE OF GELIEU. 



This hive is very convenient for the formation of artificial 

 swarms, and, in fact, Gelieu had that object chiefly in view 

 when he invented it. It is in the form of a box, which, 

 measured within, is a foot in height, nine inches in breadth, 

 and from fifteen to eighteen in length. The two first dimen- 

 sions ought never to vary ; but when it is intended to make 

 the hive larger or smaller, the length may be enlarged or 

 diminished. The boards of which it is made, are one inch 

 and a half thick. By these means, without the aid of any 

 covering, the bees are fully protected from the excessive 

 heat of the sun and from extreme cold. The honey is not 

 exposed to liquify, nor the wax to melt in the hottest 

 weather. The top is made of a board of the same thickness 

 as the box, to which it is firmly fastened by nails or screws. 

 The base of the hive is formed only by the pedestal or plat- 

 form, like the common hives. On one of the large sides of 

 the hives, which ought to be placed in front, an aperture is 

 made at the bottom, exactly in the middle, of about three 

 inches broad, and about half an inch high, to serve as an 

 entrance to the bees. The hive being thus constructed, it 

 is sawed exactly in the 



middle from the top to the .^rfH^^ ^-"" s ^ 



bottom, in order to divide p'pSr^^T ----"T 

 it in two equal parts. The ij|ij| ' ;',! ''' ' : M 



middle having been exactly ^., ',.■■ ,,, ;'| ,, . " , i|| 



sawed through, half of the ^4») ^ 



ent;ra.xice ought to be found 



in each part. The exact division having been made, two 

 boards of three or four lines in thickness, and a foot square, 

 are taken, in the middle of which a square opening is made 

 of three inches, which, if preferred may be made round. One 



