203 THE HIVK AND HONEY-BEE. 



should examine a swarm two or three days after it is 

 hived, when, by a little management, any irregularities in 

 their combs may be easily corrected. Some combs may 

 need a little compression, to bring them into their proper 

 positions, and others may even require to be cut out, and 

 fastened as guides in other frames ; but no pains should 

 be spared to see that they are all right, before the work 

 has gone so far as to make it laborious to remedy any 

 defects. If a colony is small it ought to be confined, by 

 a movable partition, to such a space in the hive as it can 

 occupy with comb as weU for its encouragement, as to 

 economize its animal heat, and guard against irregularities 

 in comb-building. Varro, who flourished before the 

 Christian Era, says (Liber ILL, Cap. xviii.), that bees be- 

 come dispirited, when placed in hives that are too large. 



The possession of five frames of straight worker-comb, 

 may be made to answer an admirable end, if given to a 

 new swarm, so as to alternate with its empty frames. 

 After the bees have had possession of them two or three 

 days, they may be politely informed that these worker- 

 combs were only loaned to them as patterns, and their new 

 combs may be alternated with empty frames. Five combs 

 may thus be used for many successive swarms. 



As the artificial guides increase the expense of the 

 frames, and cannot be invariably relied on, the practical 

 Apiarian will aim, as far as possible, to dispense with their 

 use. I have devised a plan which will be elsewhere de- 

 scribed for superseding them, and enabling the beginner 

 to compel his bees, without any comb, to build in the 

 frames with entire regularity. 



It must be obvious to every intelligent bee-keeper, that 

 the perfect control of the combs of the hive is the soul of 

 a system of practical management, which may be modi- 

 fied to suit the wants of all who cultivate bees. Even the 



