THE HONEY-BEE. 177 



actly correspond with the centre of the har ; when 

 the wax hardens, which it does in a few seconds, the 

 comb is firmly fixed. To save trouble, every second 

 bar only need be furnished with this guide.* 



The stoned hive appears to us simple and con- 

 venient ; and it has this very decided advantage, 

 that the use of it, as will be illustrated when treating 

 of the honey-harvest, renders perfectly and com- 

 pletely practicable the preservation of the life of the 

 bees, and that, too, without any difficulty or nicety of 

 operation that might scare the timid cultivator from 

 the humane attempt. The storied hive affords, also, 

 great facilities for uniting, at the end of the season, 

 two weakly swarms, or two weakly provided hives. 

 By means of smoke blown in at the door below of 

 the two hives to be united, the bees are forced into 

 the upper boxes, which are then separated and placed 

 one above the other, thus forming a stock strong both 

 in population and provisions, and securing, in all pro- 

 bability, early swarming in the following season. 

 Terrified by the smoke, the bees readily unite without 

 bloodshed. 



Huber's Hive. The hive invented by the cele- 

 brated Huber, and which he has called the book or 

 leaf-hive, possesses, in our estimation, more valuable 

 properties, taken as a whole, than any other we are 

 acquainted with. It has all the advantages of a crm- 



* Since the above was written, Dr. Bevan has published a 

 Second Edition of his excellent work, where, in pages 82 and 

 98, he gives detailed descriptions of the size and arrangements 

 of his Bee-Boxes. 



M 



