184 THE BEE-HIVES. 



colony with the pure air so conducive to their health and 

 prosperity.. What a difference between them and some 

 human beings, who, "if they lived in a glass bottle, would 

 insist on keeping the cork in !" 



Impure air, one would think, is bad enough; but all its 

 inherent vileness is stimulated to still greater activity by air- 

 tight, or rather lung-tight stoves, which can economize fuel 

 only by squandering health and endangering life. Not only 

 our private houses, but our places of public assemblage are 

 often either unimproved with any means of ventilation, or to 

 a great extent, supplied with those so deficient, that they 

 only 



"Keep the word of promise to our ear, 

 To break it to our hope." 



Men may, to a certain extent, resist the injurious influences 

 of foul air; as their employments usually compel them to live 

 more out of doors: but alas, alas! for the poor women! In 

 the very land where they are treated with such merited def- 

 erence and respect, often no provision is made to furnish 

 them with that first element of health, cheerfulness, and 

 beauty, heaven's pure, fresh air. 



Observing Hives. 



3'i'4. For nearly a century, hives have been in use con- 

 taining only one comb, inclosed on both sides by glass. 

 These hives are darkened by shutters, and, when opened, the 

 queen is as much exposed to observation as the other bees. 

 Mr. Langstroth discovered that, with proper precautions, 

 colonies can be made to work in observing-hives, even when 

 exposed continually to the full light of day; so that observa- 

 tions may be made at all times, without interrupting by any 

 sudden admission of light, the ordinary operations of the 

 bees. In such hives, many intelligent persons from various 

 States in the Union have seen the queen-bee depositing her 

 eggs in the cells, while surrounded by an affectionate circle 



