' REPORTS. 41 



this complexity, a simple box-hive is all that is essential. Such 

 an one as we would advocate is perhaps fourteen or fifteen inches 

 square at the bottom, and is eighteen or twenty inches in height. 

 It contains two d^'partments, an upper and a lower. " In this lat- 

 ter one the bees rear their broods and deposit their winter's pro- 

 visions ; hence it should possess ample room. Into the former, 

 honey-hoses are inserted to receive the surplus honey. These 

 are inserted through a door in the back part of the hive, opening 

 into the -upper department only ; and they are connected with 

 the lower department by means of narrow apertures, which will 

 admit the bee, but which always should be closed until the bees 

 have amply provided for themselves; then they may be opened 

 to their use. These honey-boxes should not be very large, nor 

 as they are sometimes seen, square on the bottom. Rather should 

 they be in the form of parallelepipeds, from five to six inches 

 square at the end, and from ten to twelve in length, having glass 

 at one end, for this convenience of the apiarist in observing the 

 deposits. We deem the boxes now described, preferable to the 

 large square ones for this reason, if for no other, the same amount 

 of honey looks better in them, and generally will contain com- 

 paratively less empty cells. Then ag lin, the trouble of exchang- 

 ing a full box often for an empty one is not prejudicious at all, 

 for who would not often desire this little trouble ? The luscious 

 look doubly pays for all this, and the owner has the money 

 besides. 



Upon the face of the hive, at or near the bottom, is a narrow 

 passage-way for the bees. This should be narrow, of whatever 

 material the hive is made, as Virgil says, " whether this be com- 

 pacted of hollow bark, or woven with limber osier," yea, or of 

 boards. In general, narrow inlets are all the bees need for their 

 use, and they prevent the ingress of many insects which might 

 jprove destructive to the bees. During the warm weather, how- 

 ever, it is well to raise the hive from the form-board upon which 



