40 



THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



PART II. 

 HIVES AND APPLIANCES. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



HIVES AND FRAMES. 



76. Ancient Hives. Bee-keeping- as an industry is ancient. 

 It is certain that from a very early period a high value has 

 been set upon honey as an article of food, and that, long 

 centuries ago, bees were kept for profit in manufactured hives. 

 Virgil, who wrote B.o. 70, describes the hive in use in his day. 

 It was constructed of plaited osiers and bark, and was plastered 

 with mud to make it waterproof. Pliny tells us that when the 

 spring flowers in the Italian valleys had failed, the bees, in 

 their 'hives, were carried at night up the rivers in boats, in 

 search of better pasturage. In parts of Asia hives of pottery 

 were used, and were built into the walls of the houses. The 

 osier hive of Virgil was, probably, somewhat like the old- 

 fashioned straw skep, with which we in this country are so 

 familiar. 



fig 16. 

 THE SKEP. 



