OBJECTIONS TO THE HIVE OF MARTIN. 267 



although the hive bears the denomination of the open hive, 

 still it must not be exposed to the intemperance of the sea- 

 sons ; the bees would certainly not be able to resist either 

 the ardour of the sun of some summers or the frost of some 

 winters, nor even the ruinous effects of tempests and of rain. 

 The same precautions should therefore be adopted as with 

 other hives, to protect them from those inconveniences, and 

 they should be supplied with a covering. 



The hives should be immediately placed on a platform or 

 pedestal about two feet broad, but they ought not to rest 

 immediately on the board, but on four pieces of wood, 

 which will raise them about twenty-four lines from the 

 level of the platform. One great advantage is derived from 

 not multiplying the number of the supports, as the facility 

 is thereby obtained of clearing away the insects which habit- 

 ually harbour amongst those places. 



According to this statement, a hive of this kind is very 

 easy to make, and attended with very little expense. There 

 are few persons who possess not skill enough to make one 

 in the course of a few hours. The state of the bees may be 

 ascertained by simply lifting the cloth, and many of those 

 inconveniences thereby removed, which are attended with so 

 much difficulty in the majority of hives. 



We can only add, that this hive will never become popular, 

 and we question whether it would ever succeed in the un- 

 certain climate of this country : it may indeed be said in 

 opposition to that statement, that bees have been known to 

 work in the hollows of trees in this country for two or three 

 years, where they have been exposed to all the vicissitudes 

 of the weather ; but the entire exposure of the bees in the 

 hive of Messrs. Martin is a positive drawback to its general 

 adoption. 



