River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-01-31

use of any machinery or power except
common hand-saw. Having the rab-
bet sawed out, the work of making
hive body is almost DONE
The mailing should be started upon
a perfectly fiat surface
It is best to have kind of platform
little larger than the hive with
cleat tsrongly nailed at one edge) for
a bumper to nail against; and another
cleat strongly nailed at one edge) for
angles to the first one.
The mailing can be finished by turn
ing the hive on its side, and the hive
corners can be kept at right angles
by using a square. When the hive is
nailed together, then put in the tin
rahbets.
You need not gouge out any han
holes by which to lift the hives. II is
easier to make cleats six or eight
inches long, planed on their upper
edges, and slanting outward and down
ward; with the ends whitfield round so
that they will shed water. One of
these nailed on each end of the hive
will make lifting the hive easy
For cover and bottom boards I get
lumber IA inches in width, using the
best for covers and the poorest for
bottom boards. Sometimes 1 make
the bottom of two pieces.
All of the covers and bottom are
sawed exactly two feet long, and have
cleats two inches square nailed under
each end. The cleat at the back end
of the bottom board is nailed about
one-half inch from the end for con-
venience in lifting, and the cleat in
the front is nailed flush with the end
for the convenience of the bees. The
cleats for the cover should be nailed
SO as to give a play of about one
eighth inch.
Lath can generally be found of the
right thickness to make the three
eighth inch bee space for the bottom
board If too thick it is not much
work to reduce them with a plane.
l have never adopted the cheaper
way of making hive cap of the game
size as the body
Our caps are all made larger than
the bodies, and telescope on them in
the old way The hive is a little more
expensive, but we have a better flt,
and a much better protection against
robbers, moths, cold. etc.
An open joint will do in the sum-
mer, but in other seasons, especially
in spring, we want a well-closed cover.
A slight variation in the width and
depth of the hives is immaterial, pro-
vided, Of course, that the frames do
not come too close to the bottom of
he hive. The important point is the
inside length from the front to the
back This must be accurate or the
frames will not fit. The two end
pieces should come between the sides,
and, if necessary, be placed little in
or out to secure exact length. The
supers are constructed in a similar
way
The lumber for the hive frames
should be bought in long strips; sim.
ply ripped out of some boards. This
is much cheaper and is just as useful
Provide a mitre-box; fit it at the
end of a bench and adjust stop,
block at the proper distance; take a
few strips at a time, put them in the
nitre-box, then push them until they
reach the stop, and saw off. Keep on
repeating until you have enough
frames cut.
Cut the top and bottom pieces
square, and these should come be-
tween the end pieces. 1t is necessary
to make the frames of an exact size
so that they will be uniformly alike
and can be changed from one hive to
another.