24 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 



not witnessed them, often so incredible, that it is not at all 

 strange that they have been rejected, either as fanciful con- 

 ceits, or bare-faced inventions. 



Many persons have not the slightest idea that every thing 

 may be seen that takes place in a bee-hive. But for more 

 than half a century hives have been in use, containing only 

 one comb, enclosed on both sides, ty glass. These hives are 

 darkened by shutters, and when opened, the queen is ex- 

 posed to observation, as well as all the other bees. Within 

 the last four years, I have discovered that with proper pre- 

 cautions, colonies can be made to work in observing hives, 

 without shutters, and exposed continually to the full light of 

 day ; so that observations may be made at all times, without 

 in the least interrupting the ordinary operations of the bees. 

 By the aid of such hives, many intelligent persons from 

 various States in the Union, have seen in my Apiaries, the 

 queen bee depositing her eggs in the cells, and constantly 

 surrounded by an affectionate circle of her devoted children. 

 They have also witnessed, with astonishment and delight, all 

 the mysterious steps in the process of raising queens from 

 eggs which, with the ordinary development, would have 

 produced only the common bees. Often, for more than 

 three months, there has not been a day in which some of my 

 colonies were not engaged in making new queens to supply 

 the place of those taken from them, and I have had the 

 pleasure of exhibiting all the facts to bee-keepers who never 

 before felt willing to credit them. As all my hives are so 

 made that each comb can be taken out, and examined at 

 pleasure, those who use them, can obtain from them all the 

 information which they need, and are no longer forced to 

 take anything upon trust. 



May I be permitted to express the hope that the time is 

 now at hand, when the number of practical observers will 



