BAGSTER ON THE HUISH HIVE. 287 



obliged to reduce the remaining bars to such a narrow 

 compass, that even the brood combs could not be attached to 

 them. In regard to Dr. Bevan's objection, that the difficulty 

 in extracting the combs appears in some cases to be insur- 

 mountable, we can only say, that we never knew a single 

 case in which the difficulty was so great, that we could not 

 surmount it, and in regard to the excessive courage, which 

 is said to be required in the extraction of the combs, we will 

 put a question to Dr. Bevan ; from what hive can the 

 extraction of the combs be effected without a certain degree 

 of courage ? But this superior degree of courage sinks after 

 all into nothing ; for as soon as the flaps of the upper board 

 are opened, and the fumigating bellows applied, the only 

 properties then to ensure success are coolness and skill. If 

 the bees presume to show themselves, when the operation is 

 going on, give them a good dose of smoke, and you will see 

 no more of them. 



The late Mr. Bagster, in his work on the management of 

 bees, devotes a whole chapter to a description of our hive ; 

 but some of his remarks lead us to believe, that he knew 

 little or nothing of the merits of the hive from actual experi- 

 ence. He commences his eulogiums on the hive, by the 

 following statement. " We conceive Mr. Huish's hive to be 

 only experimental, suited to those who wish to prove what 

 it is to be thoroughly stung, wherever the bees can find a 

 piece of exposed flesh ;" — and let us then inquire, where a 

 hive is to be found, in the management of which the bees 

 will not sting, whenever they can find an opportunity? Inde- 

 pendently of which, a charge of this nature comes with a 

 very bad grace from an individual, who professes publicly 

 to have invented a hive which he denominates the Safety 

 Hive ; but which is a direct misnomer, for we will venture to 

 affirm that the ladies, for whose particular use the hive was 

 invented, will find themselves, in all their operations with 

 it, most luxuriantly stung, unless they take the precau- 

 tion to cover every part of their body. Ladies in general 



