32 EXPERIENCE. 



As an offset to this, I found that the bees in my 

 old improved hive were strong and vigorous, proving 

 most conclusively the superiority of a hive deep from 

 top to bottom, over low flat ones.* 



The worms were also much more troublesome and 

 destructive in the Langstroth than any other hive, 

 unless more frequently overhauled. 



From my previous experience, I was satisfied that 

 although the Langs troth'hive did not fulfill its promise, 

 yet that the movable comb principle possessed some 

 important advantages over all others. With these 

 views, I went to work and rei'ntroduced bees into a 

 number of hives from which the previous swarms had 

 died, and constructed others of a greater depth, but 

 less in width and length. Into these I put a consid- 

 erable number of natural swarms, also transfers and 

 divisions. I was then prepared to test the merits of 

 the Langstroth nive by varied and extensive use, the 

 result of which showed the following defects to exist : 

 First, The frames being simply suspended on rabbets, 

 rendered it difficult to space them with the necessary 

 precision ; for, if the space is insufficient, the bees 

 shorten the cells on the side of one comb, thus rend- 

 ering that side useless ; and if placed more than the 

 usual width, it requires a greater amount of bees to 

 hover the brood, as also to raise the temperature to the 



* The same result has, in a great measure, attended the use of 

 the respective hives throughout that section of country since that 

 time. 



