r68 THi: APIARr. 



ADVANTAGES OF BAR AND FRAME HIVES. 



It will be asked, Why all this trouble about bar and 

 frames with straight combs built upon them ? We have 

 shown the full command which the bee-keeper has over a 

 hive so constituted, and we now proceed to show how, in 

 skilful hands, these advantages may be used successfully ; 

 though; in. the hands of the unpractised and unskilful, the 

 contrary may be the result. 



All the bars and frames in an apiaiy ought to be of 

 precisely the same dimensions, so as to fit every hive. 

 This is essential for the strengthening of weak hives. 

 A hive that is weakly may often be advantageously 

 strengthened by having put into it a comb of brood 

 from a populous stock, to which an empty frame from 

 the weak one may be given ; no bees must be on the 

 brood-comb — these should be shaken off or gently dis- 

 lodged with a feather into the hive from which the comb 

 is taken. The frames of combs should then be, one by 

 one, placed so as to fill' in the vacancy, leaving the empty 

 frame nearest the side. When a hive has been in use 

 many years, the combs become very black, and every bee 

 that is bred in a cell' leaves a film behind. It may be 

 understood how in this way the cells become contracted, 

 and the bees that are bred in- them correspondingly re- 

 duced'ih size. After the lapse of at least, say, five years, 

 it may be necessary to begin removing the old combs. 

 This may be done by cutting away the comb, or by sub- 



