174 THE APIARY. 



the empty frame at the end. The bees, under the- 

 govemment of the impregnated queen, construct the 

 Qombs and furnish their new above, as before stated, 

 with worker-cells. 



By adopting the plan above described, the movable 

 bar and frame-hive will prove far superior to any of the. 

 dividing hives, which provide for equal division of the 

 combs.* 



Perhaps the greatest advantage the movable frame- 

 hive possesses is, that a full knowledge can be attained 

 of its exact state as regards the queen, the population, 

 and the quantity of food in stock. During weather of 

 a genial temperature, the combs may on any fine day 

 be inspected, and thus, a knowledge being gained of the 

 deficiency existing in a hive, the necessary means may 

 be adopted for supplying the want. Sometimes such an 

 examination will verify the fears of the bee-keeper, 

 when, having observed that his bees have ceased to 

 carry in pollen, he has thereby received warning that 

 the queen has been lost at some juncture when no suc- 

 cessor to the throne could be provided. Such a hive 

 has entered on a downward course, and will dwindle 

 away entirely, unless a queen should be given to it, or 

 else some combs containing young brood not more 

 than three days old. By the latter method, the bee- 



* At page 143 of Mr. Langstroth's " Honey Bee," other 

 methods of artificial swarming are described, the perusal of which 

 will well repay the scientific bee-keeper. 



