BEESj BEE-HIVES, AND BEE CULTURE. 49 



after the artificial swarm has made combs within some of the other 

 five frames ; when the queen is on one of the new combs, oppor- 

 tunity may easily be taken for opening the hive and removing the 

 old dark comb. The bees can easily be shaken or brushed off the 

 comb, and wiU return to the hive. The comb with the unhatched 

 brood may be deposited in any square hive that needs strengthening. 

 We mention this to show how to obtain a hive with entirely fine 

 white comb. 



If the possessor of a square Woodbury frame-hive wishes to 

 start a strong Unicomb hive, and does not object to appropriate 

 the stock, he must take out of the Woodbury hive any six combs 

 on the frames, and put the Unicomb in its place so as to receive 

 aU the returning bees that happen to be abroad; the remaining 

 four corabs, supposing there are ten, may be inserted in any other 

 frame hives in the garden in which are vacancies for them. 



We have had this hive in operation, in the manner last described, 

 during the summer of 1863, and found it to answer remarkably well. 

 On a lawn, placed on a suitable ornamental stand, it formed a 

 pleasing object, besides affording great interest and instruction. 



In Unicomb hives stocked with a natural swarm (as is generally 

 the plan), there is considerable difficulty in keeping the bees alive 

 through the wdnter. In a hive where the combs are removeable, no 

 loss of bees need be occasioned. We do not recommend the hive 

 we are now describing as a winter residence for bees. For four 

 months in the year, when bees are most active and when their 

 operations are most interesting, this hive may be brought into use, 

 either of the two plans before described being adopted. An artificial 

 swarm should be put in during May or June, and taken out, in 

 the method before mentioned, and then placed in the square box 

 during the month of September ; sometimes it may do for a stock 

 to be put in a month or so earlier, but should never be retained 

 later in this hive. In October we often have cold nights ; the bees 

 and brood being in such close contact with the glass, and not able 

 to cluster as is their natural wont, suffer from exposure to the 

 variations of temperature. In some degree to moderate this, we 

 have used treble glass with a space between each square; greater 

 warmth is thus attained, and the view is not intercepted. Oppor- 

 tunity should be taken for cleaning the Unicomb hive when empty, 

 so as to be ready for re-stocking as a new hive in the following 



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