MANAGING BEES. 
13 
preservation. The apiarian should examine 
before using, to see that the hive is clear from 
spiders and cobwebs. 
There should be three sheet-iron slides, 
which answers for a whole establishment. — 
One of which should be nearly as wide as the 
chamber, and one or two inches longer than 
the length of the chamber. The other two 
should be the same length of the first, and half 
its width only. 
All hives, and all their appendages, should 
be made exactly of a size, and shape, in the 
same apiary. The trouble of equalizing col- 
onies is far less than it is to accommodate 
hives to swarms. Much perplexity, and some- 
times serious difficulties occur, where the ap- 
iarian uses different sized hives, and drawers. 
33ut this part of the subject will be more fully 
discussed under its proper rule. 
A perfect snow-white is the best color for a 
bee-hive. All shades of colors arc conductors 
of heat and cold, in proportion to their prox- 
imity towards a perfect black. It is better to 
let the hive remain the color of the wood than 
paint any shade of color, which may be the 
