140 THE BEE-HIVES. 



281. There are a few desirables to which a hive, even if 

 it were perfect, could make no pretensions! 



It could not promise splendid results to those who are too 

 ignorant or too careless to be entrusted with the manage- 

 ment of bees. In bee-keeping, as in all other pursuits, man 

 must first understand his business, and then proceed upon the 

 good old maxim, that "the hand of the diligent maketh rich." 

 "In a word, to succeed it is indispensable to know what to do, 

 and to do it just in time.'' — (S. Wagner). 



It could not have the talismanic influence to convert a bad 

 situation for honey into a good one; or give the Apiarist an 

 abundant harvest, whether the season was productive or other- 

 wise. As well might the farmer seek for some kind of wheat 

 which will yield an enormous crop, in any soil, and in every 

 season. 



It could not enable the cultivator, while rapidly multiply- 

 ing his colonies, to secure the largest yield of honey from his 

 bees. As well might the breeder of poultry pretend, that in 

 the same year, and from the same stock, he can both raise the 

 greatest number of chickens, and sell the largest number of 

 eggs. 



Movable-Comb Hives. 



283. The bee-keepers of Greece and of Candia seem to 

 have been the first to provide their hives with movable bars, 

 under which bees suspended their combs. Delia Eocea men- 

 tions these and gives engravings of them in his work, pub- 

 lished in 1790. In 1838, Dzierzon revived this hive and 

 improved it. In spite of the difficulty of its management, 

 since the combs not being attached to movable-frames, but 

 to top bars, cannot be removed without cutting them loose 

 from the sides of the hive, Dzierzon succeeded in making 

 discoveries, in bee physiology, which rank among the most 

 important (132). His success was marvelous for the epoch. 



283. But in the Dzierzon hive, it is often necessary to cut 

 and remove many combs to get access to a particular one ; thus 

 if the tenth from the end is to be removed, nine must be 



