FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. IS 



palace was a rather imposing structure. I think it cost 

 ten dollars. It was large enough to contain about four 

 colonies and was raised about two feet high on four legs. 

 On the top was a hole over which the box-hive was placed, 

 with the expectation that the bees would build down and 

 occupy the entire space. The bottom was made very 

 steep, so that wax-worms falling upon it would, however 

 unwillingly, be obliged to roll out! When a nice piece 

 of honey was wanted for the table, all that was necessary 

 was to take a plate and knife and cut it out, a door for 

 that purpose being in one side of the palace. The plate 

 and knife were never called into requisition, the magni- 

 tude of the task of filling that palace being so great that 

 the bees concluded to die rather than to undertake it. 

 Many years after, I saw at the home of an intelligent 

 farmer near Marengo the exact counterpart of that bee- 



Fig. 3.— Wide Frame.' 



palace, which an oily-tongued vender had just induced 

 him to purchase. 



