§ XVI. THE LANARKSHIRE HIVE.
In outward form this hive is much like the first bar-frame hive introduced to English apiarians by Mr. Tegetmeier, who about eighteen years ago was secretary to a now defunct apiarian society the head-quarters of which were just outside London at Muswell Hill. This gentleman adapted the Stewarton slides to a square bar-frame hive, so that no crown-board was needed, just as is here provided by the ingenious Lanarkshire bee-keeper. One of Mr. Tegetmeier's hives may be seen at the Bethnal Green Museum of Science and Art. From some cause it did not come into very general use.
The stock hive we are now describing measures sixteen inches and three-quarters from front to rear, and seventeen and a quarter from side to side, within; the height is nine inches and a half, and it contains eleven frames and one division board or dummy. Each of the frames is fitted with a false bar, which is intended to be under the bar proper: by taking a frame and pressing this bar out, an arrangement will be found for enclosing and holding tightly fixed the impressed sheets of wax for guides. The ends of the frames rest in the front and back of the hive; the top edges of the latter being deeply grooved along their centres to reduce the bearing surfaces, so that there may be less danger of crushing a bee when the frames are placed in position. These are now kept apart, and the spaces between are closed by wooden slides as in the octagon Stewarton hive; thus the advantages claimed by Scotch apiarians are here to be found in a square bar-frame hive. The sides and lower ends of the frames have projections which touch and keep each other steady, so that the combs are not so liable to be pressed together.
The super is four inches deep and equal in diameter to the stock hive, and is furnished, like it, with false bars, which have slits for inserting those infallible guides, the impressed waxen sheets. These are surmounted with another row of movable bars with the Stewarton slides between as before explained.
The back of the hive has a circular revolving disc of wood of half thickness let into it, in which are three three-quarter inch holes covered with perforated zinc, so that ventilation may be given or not. The alighting-board is made to slide in and out in grooves beneath the floor-board, which arrangement is convenient for transit of the hive to the moors or anywhere else. The entrance is opened or closed by means of sliding shutters, one on each side.
Outside covering from the weather is needed, and this we are also in a position to provide. This is beyond doubt an ingenious useful hive, and how so much labour can be bestowed and yet the hive cost so little is a marvel.