HIVES. 115 



combs and bees. In the year 1852 he obtained a 

 patent for an improvement in bee hives, since which 

 time public attention has been directed to the mova- 

 ble comb principle, the result of which is, that it is 

 now used in several forms or styles of hives. 



The necessity of having the full control of every 

 part of the hive, combs and bees, when desired by 

 the apiarian, is becoming so well understood and 

 appreciated by a majority of intelligent bee-keepers, 

 that the movable comb hive, in some shape, is now 

 almost unanimously adopted, and will, no doubt, ere 

 long entirely supersede all other classes of hives, 

 however good they may have been in their day. Im- 

 provement in bee hives has been advancing steadily, 

 keeping pace with other implements of husbandry. 

 The value of bees, and the necessity and importance 

 of managing them scientifically, as we sometimes 

 say, is now becoming clearly apparent, hence the im- 

 portance of selecting and adopting the best form of 

 movable comb hives. 



IMPROVED MOVABLE COMB HIVES. 



In treating on this part of my subject, I will point 

 out some of the most prominent features of the 

 movable comb hives which have been presented to 

 the public, and endeavor to contrast some of their 

 advantages and disadvantages, letting the reader 

 judge of their respective merits or demerits. I dis- 

 claim any desire to disparage any hive, further than 

 truth and an experimental knowledge of the facts in 

 the premises require at my hands. 



