372 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Nov., 1897. 
Construction of the Langstroth Hive. 
By H. STEPHENS, 
Tue usual number of frames in a beehive in this colony is ten, but some 
beekeepers use an eight-frame hive, which has exactly the same sized frames. 
The dimensions of the hive by outside measurement are 20% inches long by 16 
inches wide and 94 inches deep, and it is made of fairly dry pine 1 inch or 
Z.inch thick. Factory hives are usually $-inch thick, but an exact thickness 
does not much matter, and clean 1-inch pine planed on one side, so that it 
may be painted easily, is all that is required, and will look good enough for 
anything; for to make beekeeping pay we do not want an expensive hive, 
but one that is easily made and is simple, neat, and strong, for bees will store 
as much honey in a nail-keg as in the most expensive hive. 
I will give here the most economical size of timber to purchase for 
making hives, and also the ‘sizes to which to cut it to make the various parts 
of the beehive. 
Timber for Hive.—Body of hive requires one piece of pine 6 feet long, 
12 inches by Linch. Cover requires one piece 214 inches by 163 inches by 
Linch. ‘The bottom board is the same size as the cover. The cleats for the 
cover and bottom board will come off the piece for body of hive, and are 
16+ inches long by 2 inches by 1 inch. 
How to Make the Hive-—We will start making the body of the hive first, 
and will take the piece of wood measuring 6 feet by 12 inches by 1 inch, and 
plane over one side of it—the heart side for preference, as the hive is stronger 
made in that way ; after it is planed, and on both edges, mark a line on the board 
9 inches from the edge and rip it down with the saw; then plane the edges 
and you will have two boards—one 9} inches wide, and the other about 2 inches. 
Mark off the widest piece into four lengths, two of which are 16 inches long 
and the others 19} inches. ‘Take the two 16-inch pieces and make a rebate in 
one edge of each, }-inch deep and the same wide, and halve the corners so that 
the side pieces will go halfway through and make the box much stronger. A 
dovetail or lock-joint corner is strongest, but difficult to make by hand, and a . 
hive with a halved corner will last as long as the wood, if properly put together. 
Then nail together with 23-inch nails, but before it is finished. 
Hand-holes should be cut in the sides and ends to lift the hive by, and 
these are made in the centre of the box and about 24 inches from the top edge, 
and are cut with a chisel #-inch wide, and when finished should be about 4 inches 
long and halfway through the board, and also slightly undercut on the top 
edge to give a better grip to the hands. 
Cover and Bottom Board are only required to be planed on one side 
and the edges, but the bottom board need only be planed for about 3 inches 
from one end where the entrance is. The sizes of cover and bottom are 
exactly the same, and are 21} inches by 163 inches by 1 inch. 
Cleats for cover and bottom board come off the piece for the body of hive, 
and hayea groove cut in them 4-inch wide and about 4%;-inch deep; they are im- 
proved in appearance by having a 3%; bead planed on the edges. The cleats for 
the bottom board are slightly different from those of the cover, the front one 
having a rebate 1 inch deep, so that, when nailed on, the top edge comes flush 
with the board ; and the back one has the groove $-inch from edge, so that, 
when the two strips 7-inch by 3-inch are nailed on, the body of the hive is 
raised that much from the bottom board and thus forms the entrance. 
Entrance Blocks—lt is often convenient to be able to contract the 
entrance to the hive in cold weather, or if the colony is weak, and for this 
purpose triangular blocks are as good as anything. They are made out of 
pine, 2% inches wide and $-inch thick, and of any length according to the 
