526 



MISCELLANEOUS GARDEN STRUCTURES. 



the box ; b the framework which fits on 

 top of the hive before the sliding lid is 

 put on ; c the whole three boxes in use." 



Fig. 744. 



make comb ; 

 to any scale. 



Fig. 746. 



Bagster's hive as improved by J. D., figs. 

 745, 746, is thus described in the work last 

 quoted : " It is 13 inches square inside ; 

 but this J. D. has improved by having 

 the sides b c 

 Fig. 745. divided into 



four compart- 

 ments instead 

 of eight : the 

 centre for the 

 swarm in the 

 original hive 

 being too large, 

 it occupies too 

 much of the 

 bees' time to 

 but this can be arranged 

 In the sides b c he pro- 

 poses having 

 thin deal boxes 

 made to fit in 

 the apartments, 

 communicating 

 f*s at//, fig. 746, 

 with the colony, 

 and also to af- 

 ford a way out 

 and in. The ad- 

 vantage of these 

 boxes sliding 

 out and in the divisions, would be that the 

 bees and comb might be taken all away at 

 once, instead of having to cut or break the 

 comb in pieces in the hive. Fig. 746 

 shows the interior : the upper part may 

 be used for glasses ; but " he " is not sure 

 with regard to this, for the larger the 

 hive the less the honey ; and, by leaving 

 so many openings, instead of making- 

 plenty of honey, the bees loiter about and 

 are idle. If, then, the sides b c, fig. 7 45, 



be divided in the middle, there would be 

 four places to give room when required ; 

 but by no means leaving more than two 

 in operation at once, and these must not 

 be used till the centre a is quite full. 

 The dimensions of these boxes are 12 

 inches square outside measure, and they 

 are made of f-inch deal." 



Dr Howison's hive. — An account of this 

 hive was published in the " Mem. of 

 the Cal. Hort. Soc," and is described 

 by the Doctor as being in form " two dis- 

 tinct hexagons, one placed above the 

 other. The under is formed of six panes 

 of |-inch deal, measuring 10 inches in 

 width and 8 in depth, and covered with 

 a thin board at top. This is intended for 

 the breeding as well as winter habitation 

 of the bees. The upper is of the same 

 dimensions and form as the under at 

 bottom ; but, in order to give it a conical 

 shape, the panes at top are only 5 inches 

 wide, which is also covered with a piece 

 of board. The upper box has a mould- 

 ing fixed to its under part, which projects 

 about a quarter of an inch, and so exactly 

 embraces the upper part of the lower box 

 as to join these two firmly together. In 

 the deal which forms the top of the lower 

 box are cut four oval holes, each 1 inch 

 wide and 2 inches long, through which 

 the bees pass into the upper. This com- 

 munication, when not wanted, is shut by 

 a board which moves on a nail in its 

 centre. The small pane of glass in the 

 top of the upper box admits of seeing the 

 progress the bees have made in it with- 

 out separating it from the lower one. 

 This pane is covered to exclude light and 

 cold or heat, by a small shutter. When 

 the swarm is first put into the lower box 

 the communication is shut with the upper 

 until the bees have completely filled the 

 lower one with combs. The communi- 

 cation is then to be opened, when the bees 

 will ascend, and, if the season is favour- 

 able and the swarm numerous, they will 

 fill it also, but not till they have com- 

 pletely stocked the lower." 



Kashmir hive. — We learn from " Moor- 

 croft's Travels," vol. ii. p. 155, that the 

 farmers in the eastern districts of Kash- 

 mir, in building their houses, make pro- 

 vision for their bees by leaving cylindri- 

 cal cavities in the walls which extend 

 quite through. These cylinders are plas- 

 tered within with clay, and are about 



