On Bees, 111 



hive, which being done, it was soon covered by the old 

 bees. The day being extremely hot, our attention wa^ 

 for some time withdrawn ; but on examining them in 

 the evening, we found the cells all open, and the prison- 

 ers escaped, which leads to the opinion that they were 

 liberated by the old bees. 



From these facts it would seem, that the division of 

 the hive into four boxes is useless, the upper box be- 

 ing the only one that contains honey fit for use. Even 

 the removal of this is prejudicial to the bees, as the cut- 

 ting through the comb causes the honey to stream 

 down, by which a great number of the bees are drowned. 



It may here be not improper to mention a method 

 communicated by Mr. Coles, (secretary to the late 

 president U. S.) who says that in the western section of 

 Virginia, where he resides, they raise large quantities of 

 bees ; and that from the peculiar construction of the 

 hives used, they are enabled to take a great deal of 

 honey without disturbing any of the bees, who conse- 

 quently multiply with unusual rapidity. The hive is 

 composed of two boxes ; the lower one is about one 

 foot wide, and three feet high, with a close cover in 

 which there are four holes, one at each corner, large 

 enough for the bees to pass up into the superior box, 

 which is about a foot in every direction, and is without 

 a bottom. Into this the bees ascend, and fill it always 

 once, and sometimes twice during the summer, with 

 pure honey ; while in the lower box they deposit their 

 eggs, rear their young and store their wax. This box is 

 never disturbed except when wax is wanted. The upper 

 box by being carefully slid oft', is taken without a single 

 bee^ or ev»n breaking the comb. These hives are kept 



