72 A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING. 



each constructed hives on this idea about the year 185 1, 

 which, with many slight modifications and improvements, 

 form the governing principles of our most popular hives 

 at the present day. 



The use of straw skeps, as Bee dwellings, has been so 

 long almost universal, that many Bee-masters have too 

 often, without trial, condemned all other forms. The 

 material of frame hives, wood, has been maligned times 

 without number, as an encouragement to damp, and all 

 manner of evils have been predicted for the unfortunate 

 Bees, compelled to dwell in a wooden domicile. The 

 prejudice is now gradually dying away, until we find all 

 those, who are for progression, giving in their adherence 

 to the oft-proved fact, that the frame hive gives the best 

 results, when managed with ordinary care. By the use 

 of moveable frames, we can at all times make ourselves 

 acquainted with the exact state of our colonies — equalize 

 by exchange of combs their stores and brood ; weak 

 colonies may be strengthened, or united to others 

 without trouble ; swarms made when desired, saving all 

 care and anxiety of watching ;*and, to an almost certainty, 

 swarms may be prevented when supers are required to 

 be filled. Feeding may be conducted in a clean and 

 efficient manner, and the wonderful doings of the Bees 

 are at all times open to the discerning eye of the 

 student. Other objections to frame hives are, that they 

 are costly, and require the expenditure of too much 

 time. The cost of a frame hive is entirely optional. I 

 hope presently to show, how the poor man may find it 

 scarcely exceeds that of a skep, with its floor-board and 

 cover, and for the trouble, whatever time is given in 

 excess of that bestowed on a straw skep, will be amply 

 repaid. In America many men keep bees as a trade, 

 and there the labour of one man is sufficient for 150 or 



