The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarianNeighbor, Alfred
Science
The apiary; or, bees, bee-hives, and bee culture [1865]: Being a familiar account of the habits of bees, and the most improved methods of management, with full directions, adapted for the cottager, farmer, or scientific apiarian
During the early period of Huber's investigations, he prosecuted them
by means of single comb hives which allow of each side of the comb
being examined. He found, however, that these had one important defect.
The bees could not in these hives cluster together, which is their
natural method of withstanding the effects of a reduced temperature.
Huber hit upon the ingenious expedient of combining a number of single
comb frames so as to form one complete hive, which could be opened in
order to expose any particular comb, without disturbing the rest. From
the manner of the opening and closing of this hive, it has generally
been called the "Leaf or Book Hive." The division separating each
comb is joined both back and front with "butt hinges," fastened with
a moveable pin, on withdrawing which, at either side, each comb and
the bees on it may be inspected as easily as if in a single comb
hive. Huber's Leaf Hive is thus in appearance as if several of those
"History of England" back-gammon chess boards were set up on end
together. The floorboard on which the hive stands is larger than the
hive when closed, so as to allow of its being opened freely at any
particular "volume." An entrance way for the bees is hollowed out of
the floorboard as in other hives. There is a glass window in each end
of the hive, which is provided with a shutter.
There is, however, one serious objection to Huber's hive, which,
though not noticed by him or his careful assistant, has prevented its
general use. That is, the difficulty there is in closing it without
crushing some of the bees, a catastrophe which, by exasperating their
comrades, is certain to interfere with any experiments. There is no
such risk in the Bar and Frame Hive, whilst in it every facility
possessed by Huber's is retained; so that we strongly recommend
scientific apiarians, in preference to Huber's, that they should use
some kind of Bar and Frame Hive. We have here introduced a description
of Huber's Leaf Hive (and should be glad to exhibit one) for the sake
of its historic interest in connection with apiarian science. The
invention was invaluable for Huber himself, and it suggested to other
apiarians the adoption of the present plan of vertical bars and frames.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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