266 THE APIART. 



" How skilfully she builds her cell ; 

 How neat she spreads her wax ; 

 And labours hard to store it well 

 With the sweet food she makes." 



Some of the hives are constructed chiefly for the purpose of pro- 

 moting a philosophic observation of the bee's habits and methods 

 of procedure in his wonderful work. " Neighbour's Lfnicomb- 

 Observatory Hive " is a great novelty, being constructed witt 

 glass slides, the hidden mysteries of the hive being exposed to 

 the full light of day. " Ruber's Book or Leaf Hive" is con- 

 structed to facilitate the object of the scientific apiarian. But the 

 class of hives which will most interest those desirous of promoting 

 bee-keeping among the many will be those for the cottage. There 

 can be no doubt that many a poor cottager in the country, if he 

 could be made to see the advantage it would be to him, and were 

 taught the most economical and successful way of managing this 

 species of " live stock," would add thereby something consider- 

 able to his small earnings in the course of a summer. Members 

 of Cottage Garden Societies have turned their attention to it very 

 generally ; but to get the thing well afloat, requires in every 

 district the devotion of some earnest enthusiast who will take up 

 the apostolic rule of action " This one thing I do." There is 

 the No. 5 " Improved Cottage Hive," in which three bell 

 glasses are employed, enabling you to take a glass of the purest 

 honey from the hive in the most vigorous period of the season. 

 Then there are other hives of simpler construction and less expen- 

 sive, but all illustrative of the sentiment of humanity which seeks 

 to preserve from wanton destruction those useful and interesting 

 auxiliaries to our luxury and comfort. This comparativfily un- 

 important stand, in point of size, cannot but attract the attention . 

 of a large number of visitors, especially of the ladies and the 

 clergy, who are desirous of promoting the cultivation of the bee 

 among the poor. To heighten the interest for the curious, in 



