48 
HIVES. 
It now remains to make the top, cover, and boxe3, 
(the bottom-board will be described in another chap- 
ter.) The tops should be all alike; boards fifteen 
inches square are just the right size; three-fourths of 
an inch is the best thickness, (inch will do ;) plane the 
upper side, rabbet out around the edge of the upper 
side one inch wide, and three-eighths deep ; this will 
leave the top inside the rabbeting, just thirteen inches. 
SIZE OF CAP AND IiOXES. 
A box for a cover or cap, that size inside, will fit 
any hive. The height of this box should be seven 
inches. Of course other sizes will do, but it is best to 
commence with one that we can adhere to uniformly, 
and no vexations arise by covers not fitting exactly, &c. 
I think this size is as near correct as we shall be likely 
to get; we want all the room in the boxes that the ma- 
jority of our stocks demand for storing in a yield of 
honey,* at the same time not be necessitated to give 
too much of the room in the height. They will com- 
mence work in a box five inches high, much sooner 
than one seven or eight. To give the requisite room, 
and have the boxes less than five inches high, would 
require more than thirteen inches on the top, this 
would make the hive too much out of shape ; it would 
appear top-heavy. 
miner’s hive. 
Miner’s Equilateral Hive has a cap somewhat small- 
er than this in diameter; consequently, if we have the 
* I have added a side box occasionally, but it has seldom paid ms 
for the trouble. 
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