24 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



not witnessed them, often so incredible^ that it is riot at all 

 strange that they have been rejected as fanciful conceits, or 

 bare-faced inventions. 



Many persons have not the slightest idea that every thing 

 may be seen that takes place in a bee-hive. But hives have 

 for many years, been in use, containing only one large 

 comb, enclosed on both sides, by glass. These hives are 

 darkened by shutters, and when opened, the queen is ex- 

 posed to observation, as vi^ell as all the oiher bees. Within 

 the last two years, I have discovered that with proper pre- 

 cautions, colonies can be made to work in observing hives, 

 without shutters, and exposed continually to \hefull light of 

 day ; so that observations may be made at all times, without 

 in the least interrupting the ordinary operations of the bees. 

 By the aid of such hives, some of the most intelligent citi- 

 zens of Philadelphia have seen in my Apiary, the queen 

 bee depositing her eggs in the cells, and constantly sur- 

 rounded by an affectionate circle of her devoted children. 

 They have also witnessed, with astonishment" and delight, 

 all the steps in the mysterious process of raising queens 

 from eggs which with the ordinary development, would 

 have produced only the common bees. For more than 

 three months, there was not a day in which some of my 

 colonies were not engaged in making new queens to supply 

 the place of those taken from them, and I had the pleasure 

 of exhibiting all the facts to bee-keepers who never before 

 felt willing to credit them. As all my hives are so made 

 that each comb can be taken out, and examined at pleasure, 

 those who use them, can obtain from them all the informa- 

 tion which they need, and, are no longer forced to take any 

 thing upon trust. 



May I be permitted to express the hope that the time is 

 now at hand, when the number of practical observers will 



