PROTECTION. 128 



I have been thus particular on the subject of protection, in 

 order to convince eveijy bee keeper who exercises common 

 sense, that thin hives ought to be given up, if either pleasure 

 or profit is sought from his bees. Such hives an enlightened 

 Apiarian could not be persuaded to purchase, and he would 

 consider them too expensive in their waste of honey and 

 bees, to be worth accepting, even as a gift. Many strong 

 colonies which are lodged in badly protected hives, often 

 consume in extra food, in a single hard Winter, more than 

 enough to pay the difference between the first cost of a good 

 hive over a bad one. In the severe Winter of 1851-2, many 

 cultivators lost nearly all their stocks, and a large part of 

 those which survived, were too much weakened to be able 

 to swarm. And yet these same miserable hives, after 

 accomplishing the work of destruction on one generation of 

 bees, are reserved to perform the same office for another. 

 And this some call economy ! 



I am well aware of the question which many of ray read- 

 ers have for some time been ready to ask me. Can you 

 make one of your well protected hives as cheaply as 

 we construct our common box hives } I would remind 

 such questioners, that it is hardly possible to build a well 

 protected house as cheaply as a barn. 



If, however, my hives are not built of doubled materials, 

 they can be made for less money than most patent hives, 

 and yet afford much greater protection ; as the combs touch 

 neither the top, bottom nor sides of the hive. I recommend, 

 however, for all latitudes north of Philadelphia, a construc- 

 tion, which although somewhat more costly at first, is yet 

 much cheaper in the end. 



Such is the passion of the American people for cheapness 

 in the first cost of an article, even at the evident expense of 

 dearness in the end, that many, I doubt not, will continue to 



