BEE MANUAL. 117 
The interior of the hive is shown in Fig. 39. The brood 
chamber is intended to contain ten narrow frames of comb ; 
the super, if worked for extracting, has generally nine of the 
same frames, the intermediate spaces being left a little wider 
than in the brood chamber. If worked for comb honey, the 
super contains only seven broad frames, fitting close together, 
each frame containing four or eight section boxes of the sort 
to be described further on. The half-story supers are made to 
contain either shallow frames, with section boxes, or a section 
rack. An inside covering mat is placed on top of the frames 
in the hive or super just under the cover. The stands and 
the bottom of the floor-board may be painted a dark colour ; 
the hive itself is better if either white or a light tint; the 
top of the roof should in any case be of a pure white, in 
order the better to cast off the hot rays of the sun in 
summer. 
These hives can be procured at very moderate prices, and 
very complete in every respect, from the manufacturers. For 
the convenience of those who wish to put their own hives 
together and to save expense in the transport, they can be had 
in the fiat, that is, all the separate parts complete and ready to 
be nailed together, and. packed as close together as possible in 
crates or packages containing generally four one-story hives, or 
three of two stories, or of one and ahalf. If the beginner 
decides upon getting his hives in this way, and if there be no 
hives already in use in his neighbourhood, or no one to show 
him how to set to work, it will be advisable for him to procure 
one hive complete and fitted together, to serve as a pattern, 
and the rest in the flat. 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING. 
To those not skilled in the use of tools, or who have other 
occupation, it may be found the most profitable to purchase all 
their hives as they require them. On the other hand, there 
will always be some having plenty of spare time, who would 
prefer to occupy a part of it in making their own hives, had 
they clear instructions how to proceed. I shall now endeavour, 
with the aid of illustrations, to give plain instructions for 
making the Langstroth hive, the one I have already advised 
my readers to adopt. 
