126 miner's AMERICAN 



There is no such thing as laziness with the bee. Far 

 more depends upon the bee-pasturage and season than 

 upon anything that man can do ; yet we have our part 

 to do also, and it is only by a proper attention to our 

 duties, that the bee is protected in her labors, that result 

 in her own prosperity, and to our own advantage. 



RESULT OP THE AUTHOr's EXPERIENCE IN LARGE HIVES. 



In 1842 I had a few hives made 12 by 18 inches in 

 ■the clear ; that is, 12 inches wide, and 18 inches long. 

 In speaking of the size of hives, I refer to the body of 

 the hive for the dwelling of the bees, without any regard 

 to what are termed supers* for storifying. I found that 

 it took the bees two seasons to fill my large hives ; and 

 when filled, they did not swarm at all some seasons ; for 

 the reason, that however great the quantity of bees may 

 be in a hive, in the summer and fall, they dwindle away 

 before spring, to a certain quantity ; and thus leave a 

 vacant space at the bottom of the hive, of some six 

 inches or more, to be filled up with the increase of 

 spring ; while smaller hives are full, and are throwing 

 off" swarms in profusion. Here lies the philosophy of 

 adapting the hive to the natural wants of the bee. I 

 will illustrate this point by a supposable case. 



An apiarian places a swarm of bees in a hive, say 14 

 inches in diameter, by two feet in length ; the bees might 

 possibly fill the hive with combs, the second year, but 



* Supers are such hives, or boxes, as are placed above the regu- 

 lar hive, and receive the surplus gatherings of the bees, aad may 

 be removed at pleasure. 



