OR, MANUAI< OF THB APIARY. 207 



CHAPTER V. 



HIVES AND SECTIONS. 



An early choice among the innumerable hives is of course 

 demanded ; and here let me state with emphasis, that none of 

 the standard hives are now covered by patents, so let no one buy 

 rights. It is in nearly all sections of our country, happily, 

 unnecessary to decry patent hives. Our excellent bee-periodi- 

 cals have driven from among' us, for the most part, that excres- 

 cence — the patent-hive man. His wares were usually worth- 

 less, and his life too often a lie, as his representations were 

 not infrequently false to the letter. As our bee-men so gen- 

 erally read the bee-papers, the patent-hive vendor will grow 

 less and less, and will soon exist only in the past. It will be 

 a blessed riddance. 



Success by the skillful apiarist with almost any hive, is 

 possible. Yet, without question, some hives are far superior 

 to others, and for certain uses, and with certain persons, some 

 hives are far preferable to others, though all may be meritori- 

 ous. As a change in hives, after one is once engaged in api- 

 culture, involves much time, labor and expense, this becomes 

 an important question, and one worthy of earnest considera- 

 tion by the prospective apiarist. I shall give it a first place, 

 and a thorough consideration, in this discussion of practical 

 apiculture. 



BOX-HIVES. 



I feel free to say that no person who reads, thinks and 

 studies — and success in apiculture can be promised to no other 

 — will ever be content to use the old box-hives. In fact, 

 thought and intelligence, which imply an eagerness to investi- 

 gate, are essential elements in the apiarist's character, and to 

 such a one a box-hive would be valued just in proportion to the 

 amount of kindling-wood it contained. I shall entirely ignore 

 box-hives in the following discussions, for I believe no sensi- 

 ble, intelligent apiarists, such as read books, will tolerate 

 them, and that, supposing they should, it would be an expen- 



