A Description of the Bar-and-Frame-Hive | Page 3

for the construction of the
"bar-and-frame-hive" I am anxious to warn all amateur carpenters, and
those who delight to superintend the labours of a "cheap working
country carpenter," against the fatal error of using unseasoned wood;
for, unless the "bottom board" and the "bee-frames" are made of
mahogany, or some well-seasoned, hard, or close-grained wood, the
advantages of the bar and frame-hive will be quite destroyed, as the
great object is to have the bee-frames to slide in and out of the grooves
with the greatest facility. Throughout the whole of the making of the
hive or box, no glue should be used, unless further secured with small
SCREWS OR NAILS.[1]

[Footnote 1: Mr. John Milton of No. 10, Great Marylebone-street, has
some well constructed bar and frame bee-hives of various prices.]
The oblong box, A B C D, E F and E F (Plate I, fig. 1), is to be made of
well-seasoned poplar, fir, or deal, of an inch in thickness; the inside
dimensions are 28 inches and 5/8 of an inch long from A to C, 10-1/2
inches broad from A to B, and sixteen inches deep from A to E.
The top lid A B C D is formed in the shape of a common roof, and
made to project an inch, before, behind, and at the two gable ends, like
the eaves of a cottage to throw off the wet.
The half of this roof G H, is made to open and fall back with hinges h
h.
The two gable ends of the roof have holes cut in them, i, k, to admit the
circulation of air; and secured with perforated zinc withinside to
prevent the intrusion of wasps, or any other enemies to bees; the gable
marked i, shows the perforated zinc framed into the gable, and k the
outside appearance of the ventilator.
The side of the box marked A C E E, is made to let down and form a
table I J, hung on hinges P P, and supported by the quadrants Q Q, one
inch below the level of the bottom board.
Two handles are fixed in the ends of the box, one shown in the sketch
at T.
Two blocks of wood are screwed on the bottom of the box (one shown
at U) to keep it off the ground, &c., when the four legs, L L L L, at the
four corners of the box are unscrewed for the convenience of packing,
&c. In the opposite side or front of the box at X X, is fixed a piece of
board e, four inches broad, and an inch thick, extending the whole
length from F F; this is secured at an angle with the bottom of the box,
so as to form a slightly inclined plain e, for the alighting board, which
would be always dry for the bees to land upon. A half inch opening is
made from F to F, just above the alighting board, for the ingress and
egress of the bees. Slides are made s s, to regulate the extent of the

openings, or to entirely close the entrance to the box; these slides can
be drawn out when it is necessary to clean the bottom board, &c.
Within-side the box, two pieces of red cedar of half an inch in thickness,
12-1/8 inches long, 9-1/2 inches broad, are nailed on to each end at E F,
and E F (one of the pieces of red cedar shown at R). The quadrants, Q
Q, being made to work between them and the outer case. A fillet, v v, is
fastened on a level with the tops of the two pieces of red cedar, to form
a ledge of about a 1/4 of an inch all round, to support the sheets of
perforated zinc, as shown at W W.
Sixteen pieces of mahogany, 1-1/8 of an inch broad, and half an inch
deep, are to be screwed to the mahogany floor board, commencing
against the piece of red cedar, R, and leaving a space between each
piece, half of an inch, and finishing against the other piece of red cedar
with the last; there will then be formed fifteen grooves, half of an inch
in width, half an inch in depth, and 9-1/2 inches long on the floor-board
as shown at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
A bar of mahogany, Y Y, about two inches square, having grooves, X
X X X, &c., corresponding to those on the floor-board, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
&c., is let in, and fastened between A and C, having a clear space of
twelve inches between the floor-board, and this top bar; the object of
these grooves being to receive, and keep steadily in their places, the
fifteen