MOVABLE-COMB HIVE. 15 



first, I used movable slats or bars placed on rabbets in 

 the front and back of the hive. The bees began their 

 combs Tipon these bars, and then fastened them to the 

 sides of tiCe hive. By severing these attacliments, the 

 combs could be removed adhering to the bars. There was 

 nothing new in the use of such bars — ^the invention being 

 probably a hundred years old — and the chief peculiarity 

 in njy'hive was the facility with which they could be 

 removed without enraging the bees, and their combinar 

 tion with my improved mode of obtaining the surplus 

 honey. 



With hives of this construction, I experimented on a 

 larger scale than ever, and soon arrived at very important 

 results. I could dispense entirely with natural swarming, 

 and yet multiply colonies with greater rapidity and cer- 

 tainty than by the common methods. All feeble colonies 

 could be strengthened, and those which had lost their 

 queen furnished with the means of obtaining another. If 

 I suspected that any thing was wrong -(vith a hive, I could 

 quickly ascertain its true condition, and apply the proper 

 remedies. In short, I felt satisfied that bee-keeping could 

 be made highly profitable, and as much a matter of cer- 

 tainty, as most branches of rural economy. 



One thing, however, was still wanting. The cutting of 

 the combs from their attachments to the sides of the hive, 

 was attended with much loss of time both to myself and 

 ,the bees. This led me to invent a method by which the 

 combs were attached to movable feambs, so suspended 

 in the hives as to touch neither the top, bottom, nor sides. 

 By this device the combs could be removed at pleasure, 

 without aiiy cutting, and speedily. transferred to another 

 hive. After experimenting largely with hives of this con- 

 struction, I find that they fully answer the ends proposed 

 in their invention. 



