ITS ANTIQUITY. 239 



ing shows not only that lie wiis well acquainted with previ- 

 ous writers on the subject, but that he was also a successful 

 practical Apiarist. Its precepts, with but few exceptions, 

 are truly admirable, and prove that in his time bee-keep- 

 ing, with the masses, must have been far in advance of what 

 it was fifty years ago. 



We have spoken of the bar-hive, (282) as at least 

 two hundred years old. From " A Journey into Greece, by 

 George Wheeler, Esq.," made in 1075-6, it appears that it 

 was, at that time, in common use there, and, probably, 

 even then an old invention ; he described its vises in 

 forming artificial swarms, and removing spare honey. As 

 the new swarms were made by dividing the combs between 

 two hives, and no mention is made of giving the queenless 

 one a royal cell, those old observers were probably acquain- 

 ted with the fact that they could rear one from the worker- 

 brood. Huber says : — " Monticelli, a Neapolitan Professor, 

 claims that the plan of artificial swarming was borrowed 

 from Favignana, and that the practice is so ancient that 

 even the Latin names are preserved by the inhabitants in 

 their procedure." 



470. Huber, after his splendid discoveries in the physi- 

 ology of the bee, felt the need of some way of multipljdng 

 colonies, more reliable than that of natural swarming. He 

 recommends forming artificial swarms, by dividing one of 

 the hives, and adding six empty frames to each half. 



"Dividing-hives," (278-279) of various kinds, have 

 been used in this country. The principle seems to have all 

 the elements of success ; but it was ascertained, that, how- 

 ever modified, such hives are all practically worthless for 

 purposes of artificial increase. 



It is one of the laws of the hive, that bees which have no 

 mature queen, seldom build any cells except such as are de- 

 signed merely for storing honey, and are too large for the 

 rearing of workers (228). 



