254 BEE MANIPULATION. [Ch. v. 



specially introduced. By choosing these, also from their 

 birth, from the progeny of a different queen from the 

 mother of the one in the nucleus, all may apparently be 

 made as straightforward as could be desired. Even Von 

 Berlepsch, who is no friend to the Italians, praises this 

 method as a " beautiful discovery : " it dates only fron\ 

 1867. 



§ X. GENERAL HINTS ON FRAME HIVES. 



It may not unnaturally be asked by some, Why all this 

 trouble about frame hives ? No one, however, who has 

 carefully read the previous sections of this chapter, and 

 especially those on "Artificial Swarming" and " Queen- 

 Rearing," can require any further answer to such question.- 

 Briefly, frame hives stand immeasurably above others 

 from the full conmiand over the bees which they afford. 

 The facility of inspection for ascertaining the strength of 

 the colony or the stock of its honey, or for incidental 

 purposes, such as the detection of disease and the extir- 

 pation of enemies such as the bee-moth, and again the 

 faciUties provided for giving ventilation or for contracting 

 the dimensions to suit a small population, are among the 

 minor but still great advantages which the use of these 

 hives secures. In skilful hands these advantages may be 

 used successfully ; though in the hands of the unpractised 

 and unskilful the contrary may be the result. 



It is a great desideratum that all the bars and frames 

 in an apiary should be of precisely the same dimensions, . 



