Improved Bee Hive.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3488, 28 February 1880, Page 2

Improved Bee Hive.

Mr Broadley, engineer attheKaiapoi Woollen Factory, has completed a Canadian bee .hire on improred principles, for the Acclimatisation Society. It is a double-boarded hive, and is intended to winter a stock out of doors. The dimen* sions are—l Bin, across, 16in. deep, lS^in. broad. It contains inside twelve frames, 13in, wide, slanting on tb,e bottom from lOin. at one side to Bin. on the other, allowing air spaces of fin. all round the frames. The hire being double-boarded, a hollow wall is formed all,round, it, which renders it warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and this plan remores the danger of. combs melting down. Abort the hire is a moveable cover, which - allows a super sin high and 13in square to be placed on it. The hire referred to has an observing door and robber stop. The bottom . can be lowered in an ingenious manner to receive the swarm. The comb frames are made after Mr Broadley's own pattern, for which it ii claimed that the bees find it impossible to build crooked or fix the frames with wax, so that there is any difficulty in removal. A warm air chamber allows the beet to make their way easily orer the. top of the frames, and as the bees are not detached, the honey box is kept,at a.nearly equal temperature with . the , rest of the 1 hire. On ' a honey board orer the , chamber the bees can be fed, which - . Mr Broad ley accomplishes by insert- . ing a tube for them to come up, and places troughs on the'board, with liquid food which the bees have to sip through small holes in wooden floats. Judging " by the hives of a like kind in use near the factory, it seems impossible to beat it for the production of a large yield of honey. From one swarm this season . there have been seven new .ones, and at least UQlbs of honey taken. This gentleman has also, perfected a centrifugal/ honey extractor, which, however, he in- X, tends to set aside in favour of that advo* cated by Dr. Irving.—Grlobe.