18 BEE-KEEPING : THE OLD AKD THE NETT. 



Eough, uncouth, wooden boxes were constructed and 

 placed upon the hive, and the bees had access to them 

 through holes bored in the top. These were succeeded by 

 others more neatly made, with a hole in each end, covered 

 with glass that the progress within might be inspected. 



Thus, the first steps in the right direction being takenj 

 it was easy to devise boxes with glass tides ; and twenty 

 five years ago, we find Mr. Quinby recommending boxes 

 six inches square, with glass on all four sides, with the 

 remark that, " the expense of making is a little more for 

 the same amount of honey, yet, when it is marketed, a few 

 customers will prefer this size." Up to that date, the 

 chief advance in practice, seems to have been in the better 

 adaptation of the box-hive to the production of surplus. 



Mr. Quinby's desire to understand the minutest details 

 of everything which came under his observation, led him 

 to become thoroughly familiar with the habits of his little 

 favorites ; and, unaided by the discoveries of foreign 

 writers with which he was then wholly unacquainted, he 

 demonstrated for himself many of the facts and princi- 

 ples which the progress of to-day easily enables us to verify. 



At the end of a quarter of a century, he had so satisfac- 

 torily established a system of bee-keeping that would in- 

 sure reasonable return for a stated investment, that he felt 

 warranted in publishing the first edition of this work en- 

 titled "Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained." He hoped 

 thereby to benefit others by disse ninating the knowledge 

 he had acquired, and to encourage an industry, evidently 

 designed by the Creator, when he caused uncounted flow- 

 ers to annually secrete tons of liquid honey, and created 

 a tiny insect with instinct to gather and preserve this 

 " treasure- trove." 



Simultaneously with this publication, appeared the first 

 edition of "Laugstroth on the Hive and Honey Bee." 

 These two works were the first of any great value that 

 had been written in America. 



