THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
33 
A CHEAP LANG 3 TOO HI HIVE. 
( To the Editor of the Australian Beekeepers 
Journal. ) 
Sir, — In the endeavour to induce box-hive 
men to adopt the movable frame system, with 
all its attendant advantages, one is constantly 
met by the objection that the hives are very 
expensive and beyond the reach of cottagers, 
and others of limited means. It is, therefore, 
the writer’s aim to show how a cheap and 
thoroughly efficient hive can be made to take 
the standard Langstroth frame, the total cost 
of the materials not exceeding five shillings. 
I have been informed that others have been 
working in the same direction, though I have 
not seen their result. 
If a kerosene box be measured, its inside 
dimensions will be found to be about 19iu. x 
1 tyin. x 9-Jin. or very nearly the exact size 
required to suit the LangstrothJ frame. The 
average kerosene box is -fin. too long and 
this amount must be cut off, but the exact 
length inside the hive should be 18fin. so as 
to allow fin. clear outside the frame. The 
depth should also not be less than 9Jin. to 
allow the same clearance beneath. The ends 
of the hive are rabbeted fin. deep by fin. 
wide, and a piece of hoop iron of sufficient 
width is nailed along the rabbet to support 
the frames on its edge and so prevent them 
from being fixed down by propolis. 
The bottom board is made of the top of the 
kerosene case and has two cleats 2in. x If in. 
nailed under it, one at each end, each cleat 
consisting of two pieces of fin. stuff from the 
end of another box. 
A small fillet, fin. x fin., is nailed to the 
bottom board in-ide the hive, to prevent the 
latter from sliding off. The entrance is cut 
out of the hive, and is Jin. high by the 
full width to allow of the necessary ventila- 
tion in summer and sufficient room for the 
bees to pass when the gum trees are in bloom. 
An alighting board is made of the full width 
also, and slopes down to the ground. It is 
fixed by a slotted piece of hoop iron at each 
side, and this slips over the head of a nail 
driven into the hive, thus allowing of easy 
removal. 
The cap, which is flat-topped, is constructed 
of another kerosene box, and should measure 
18fin. x 14Jin. x Tin.; it is kept from sliding 
off by a strip lfin. x fin. nailed to it all 
around, and projecting downwards fin. to 
cover the joint. A rack, to hold 24 lib. 
section boxes, is then placed on the frames, 
and provides means of securing the most 
popular form of comb honey. The cap is 
purposely made Tin. deep, so that the 1 Jib. 
sections may be used if required. When the 
whole is well painted outside, it is finished, 
and will compete successfully against the 
most expensive kinds of hives sold. 
Anyone with the most rudimentary car- 
pentering skill can produce such a hive as 
this, and if he makes it himself it need not 
cost him more than os., as follow : — 
Kerosene cases .. .. 2 ffi 9d. Is. 6d. 
Frames, in the flat .. 10 for Is. 
Section boxes . . 24 ffl 5s. ffl 100 Is. 2Jd. 
Paint .. .. 2lbs. $ Td. Is. 2d. 
Nails .. .. .. .. Os. ljd. 
Total . . . . 5s. Od. 
These are Adelaide prices. 
It is hardly necessary to caution anyone 
against using a case into which the kerosene 
has escaped, as the bees in that case would 
probably soon leave the hive. The flat- 
topped hive has the advantage of being easily 
protected from the sun by a projecting cover 
placed upon it and held in position by a brick. 
Such a cover can be made of a few palings, 
secured together by two cleats, which thus 
provide an air space between it and the hive, 
and the protection thus afforded prevents the 
combs being damaged by excessive beat..— -I 
am, &c„ C. F. CLOUGH. 
Adelaide, 5th Jan., 1886. 
STANDARD FRAME FOR AUSTRALIA 
(To the Editor of the Australian Beekeepers' 
Journal.) 
Sir, — In the December issue of your journal 
there is a letter signed “ Drone Comb,” in 
which tbe writer says “ he desires to discuss 
the question concerning the size of the frame 
to be adopted by the Australian Beekeepers’ 
Club,” and with your pei mission I would like 
to make a few remarks on the same subject. 
It is a most important question, affecting not 
only the apiarists of Victoria, but those 
throughout Australia; moreover, it is one 
that should be settled as speedily as possible. 
In South Australia a great variety of frames 
have been introduced, and tried, with the 
result that the Langstroth is now almost 
universally adopted. The advocates of a 
smaller frame, who are inexperienced, would 
do well to be guided by the fate of the 
Dzierzon and another hive in this colony. 
About two years ago, when scientific bee- 
keeping became popular, the Dzierzon 
Standard hive, and a hive with frames similar 
to the British Standard, were quite extensively' 
manufactured, and sold readily for a few 
months. But people soon found out the dis- 
advantages of these small frames. They 
discovered that they had no show agains’t 
their neighbours who used the Langstroth 
hive and frame, and the demand for small 
