146 Of Habitations for Bees. 
bees. The ftraw of rye or wheat is beft for 
making hives: The heads of the ftraw fhould 
be cut off: The rolls fhould be drawn very 
tight, and wrought together with {mall wil- 
lows or brambles, {plit and properly dreft, with 
the pith taken outcfthem. The hives fhould 
be made as {mooth as poffible, without leaving 
any projecting {traws ; which, when not cut or 
finged away, (as fhould always be done when 
the hives are rough,) would occafion much un- 
neceflary trouble to the bees, when put into 
them, to gnaw them off. When the hives are 
made, and, if neceflary, gently finged with 
ftraw, four fmall fticks fhould be fixed acrofs 
the infide of them, at proper diftances, in order 
not only to keep the hive firm, but alfo to pre- 
vent the combs from falling down, (which they 
would otherwife do by their own weight ;) or 
from being fhifted out of their’ places, when 
the hives are rapped upon, er difturbed acci- 
dentally. 
Some ingenious gentlemen have made their 
hives to confift of different apartments, though 
inhabited only by one fwarm. This kind of 
hives are called coLoNIEs ; but Ido not much 
approve of them; as the partitions, prevent 
that aceumulation of heat, which is neceflary 
for 
