VENTILATION OF THE BEE-HIVB. 181 



a great extent, supplied with those so deficient, that they 



only 



"Keep the word of promise to our ear, 

 To break it to our hope." 



Men may, to a certain extent, resist the injurious influences 

 of foul air ; as their employments usually compel them to live 

 more out of doors : but alas, alas ! for the poor women ! In 

 the very land where they are treated with such merited de- 

 ference and respect, often no provision is made to furnish 

 them with that first element of health, cheerfulness, and 

 beauty, heaven's pure, fresh air. 



Obsbbving Hives. 



374. For nearly a century, hives have been in use con- 

 taining only one comb, inclosed on both sides by glass. 

 These hives are darkened by shutters, and, when opened, the 

 queen is as much exposed to observation as the other bees. 

 Mr. Langstroth has discovered that, with proper precau- 

 tions, colonies can be made to work in observing-hives, even 

 when exposed continually to the full light of day ; so that 

 observations may be made at all times, without interrupting 

 by any sudden admission of light, the ordinary operations 

 of the bees. In such hives, many inteUigent persons from 

 various States in the Union have seen the queen-bee depos- 

 iting her eggs in the cells, while surrounded by an affection- 

 ate 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 com- 

 mon bees. Often for more than three months, there has 

 not been a day in our Apiary, in which some colonies were 

 not engaged in rearing new queens to supply tie place of 

 those taken from them ; and we have had the pleasure of 



