MOVABLE-COMB HIVES. 137 



otherwise. As well might the farmer seek for some Icind of 

 wheat which will yield an enormous crop, in any soil, and 

 in every season. 



It could not enable the cultivator, while rapidly multiply- 

 ing his stocks, to secure the largest yield of honey from his 

 bees. As well might the breeder of poultry pretend, that 

 in the same year, and from the same stock, he can both 

 raise the greatest number of chickens, and sell the largest 

 number of eggs. 



MoVABLE-COMB H1VE8. 



282. The bee-keepers of Greece and of Candia seem to 

 have been the first to provide their hives with movable bars, 

 under which bees suspended their combs. Della-Rocca men- 

 tions these and gives engravings of them in his work, pub- 

 lished in 1790. In 1838, Dzierzon revived this hive and 

 improved it. In spite of the difficulty of its management, 

 since the combs not being attached to movable-frames, but 





D: 



o 



Fig. 52. 

 DIVERS MOVABLE BARS TO SUPPORT THE COMBS. 



to top bars (flg. 52), cannot be removed without cutting them 

 loose from the sides of the hive, Dzierzon succeeded iu 

 making discoveries, in bee physiology, which rank among 

 the most important (132). His success was marvelous for 

 the epoch. Mr. Wagner wrote of him in 1852 : 



