BEES, BEE-HIVESj AND BEE CULTUllE. 73 



Six sliiuing panels gird each polisli'd roiiud, 

 The door's fine rim, witli waxen fillet bound, 

 While walls so thin, with sister walls combined. 

 Weak in themielves, a sure dependanoe find. 



Others in firm phalanx ply their twinkling feet, 

 Stretch out the ductile mass, and form the street, 

 ^Vith many a cross-way, path, and postern gate. 

 That shorten to their rauge the spreading state. 



IV. MANIPULATION AND USES OF BAR AND 

 FRAME HIVES. 



Having at page 36, given a description of the mechanical 

 arrangements of bar and frame hives, the next thing is to 

 describe the mode of introducing the bees, and of thus bringing 

 the humane and scientific hives into operation. The swarm 

 should be first hived into a common straw hive from the bough 

 or shrub upon which they may have alighted; place this hive, 

 — into which we will suppose the bees have been shaken, — on the 

 ground, propped up on one side with a brick or a flower pot, or 

 anything of the sort that may be handy, in order that straggler bees 

 may join the swarm. The spot selected for this should be as shady 

 an one as can be found, near to the place where the swarm settled ; 

 or it may be shaded from the rays of the sun by fixing matting on 

 two poles so as to prevent the heat falling on the hive ; spread a 

 sheet or cloth on the ground where an even surface can be obtained ; 

 stake this sheet down at the four corners, to prevent ruts and 

 inequalities, which are great hindrances to the bees going into the 

 bar and frame hive ; place the latter upon the sheet without its 

 floorboard, having its front raised on blocks or sticks rather more 

 than an inch, — not more, otherwise the bees wall cluster and attach 

 themselves to the lower part of the frames instead of going up 

 between. These preparations will perhaps occupy ten minutes, by 

 which time the swarm will have become settled and tolerably quiet. 

 Then with a sharp rap precipitate the bees out of the straw hive 

 on to the sheet immediately in front of the frame hive ; give the 

 straw hive another knock so as to dislodge all the bees, and then 

 take it quite away, otherwise they may, if it be left near, perversely 

 choose to go into that instead of the one desired. In some cases, as 



