DESCRIPTION.
This is a double-walled house, which may be rectangular or octagonal in form. The outer wall should be of brick, and made as thin as possible. Inside of this there should be wooden strips two-inches thick, which should receive a layer of paper-sheeting inside, which may be held by nailing strips two-inches wide immediately inside the first mentioned strips. These last strips should receive lath, after which all should be plastered. This may cost more than a purely wooden structure, but it will be more nearly frost-proof than any other kind of wall, and in the end will be the cheapest. There will be two dead air-chambers, each two inches deep, one between the paper and brick, the other between the paper and the plaster. The entire wall will be at least eight inches thick. If desired, it may be made less thick by using one-inch strips, though for our very severe winters the above is none too thick. The doors and windows should be double and should all shut closely against rubber. The outer ones should consist of glass, and should be so hung as to swing out, and in hot weather should be replaced with door, and window-screens, of coarse, painted, wire gauze. A small window just above each colony of bees is quite desirable.
Somewhere in the walls there should be a ventilating tube—a brick flue would be very good—which should open into the room just above the floor. Above it might open into the attic, which should be well aired. Ventilators such as are so common on barns might be used.
The pipe for admitting air, should, as in the cellar before described, pass through the ground and enter the floor from below. A good cellar, well ventilated and thoroughly dry will be convenient, and should not be neglected. I would have the building but one story, with joists in ceiling above eight inches thick. Above these I would sheet with building paper, fastened by nailing strips two inches deep on top, above which I would ceil with matched boards. I should lath and plaster below the joists. The hives, which are to be kept constantly in this house, may rest on two rows of shelves, one at the floor, the other three feet high, and should be arranged for both top and side storing in the small section frames. Indeed, the hive need only consist of the two rabbeted side-boards ([Fig, 30, c]), and a division-board with quilt. The entrances of course pass through the wall. An alighting-board, so hinged as to be let down in summer, but tightly closed over the entrance during very severe winter weather, I should think would be very desirable. Between the double windows, which it will be remembered shut closely against rubber, sacks of chaff may be placed in winter, if found necessary to keep the proper temperature. With few colonies this might be very necessary. The adjacent entrances should vary in color, so that young queens would not go astray, when they returned from their "Marriage flight."