PREFACE. VII 



tQ push : we are free to choose out of the many apiarian 

 contrivances that have been offered of late- years, and 

 we feel perfectly at liberty to praise or blame as our 

 experience warrants us in doing. It does not follow 

 that we necessarily disparage hives which are not 

 described herein ; we have sought, as much as possible, 

 to indicate the principles on which good hives must be 

 constructed, whatever their outward size or shape. All 

 through the work, we have endeavoured to adopt the 

 golden rule of "submission to Nature" by reference 

 to which all the fancied difficulties of bee-keeping may 

 be easily overcome. In none of the attempts of men 

 to hold sway over natural objects is the truth of Bacon's 

 leading doctrine more beautifully illustrated than in 

 the power that the apiarian exercises in the little world 

 of bees. 



Some persons may consider we have used too many 

 poetical quotations in a book dealing wholly with matters 

 of fact. We trust, however, that the examination of the 

 extracts will at once remove that feeling of objection. 



We venture to hope that the following pages contain 

 many valuable hints and interesting statements which 

 may tend to excite increased and renewed attention to 

 the most useful and industrious of all insects. 



