OBSTACLES TO BEE-CULTURE. 13 
in which they have been placed, or the mode of culture which has been 
adopted. The Bee-hive has been, to a great extent, a dark apartment. 
There are commendable exceptions to this, bat they are few and far 
between. By far the great majority of hives now in use are as dark 
and as far removed from the inspection of the Bee-keeper, as the cave 
in which the hyena dwells. Travel in almost any direction and 
enumerate the hives which are thus dark, and at the same time mark 
those which are so constructed as to give the keeper even a tolerable 
view of the interior, and you will find the proportion of the latter 
compared with the former extremely small. In many instances those 
which pretend to give us a view of the interior are so ill adapted to this 
purpose as only to tantalize our earnest search after further light and 
knowledge. Add to this darkness of the hive another fact, viz.: that a 
majority of Bee-keepers read very little and reflect less, and experiment 
less upon their Bees, and you have a solution of this matter, or can 
understand why it is that such erroneous views are extensively preva- 
lent, and absolute ignorance exists where enlightened views ought to be 
entertained. I have often been surprised at the degree of ignorance 
which prevails among persons who have been Bee-keepers for years. 
Some of them know as little respecting their peculiar habits as if they 
had vever kept them. In these circumstances a very serious obstacle 
exists to the adoption of any enlightened and successful system of Bee- 
culture, and this obstacle is not to be removed except by an application 
to the appropriate remedy or remedies. Hives are to be differently 
constructed. Information is to be sought. Experiments are to be made. 
In other words, a different mode of Bee-culture is to be adopted. Such 
a result can be anticipted only in connection with adequate knowledge 
in reference to Beeology. 
Another obstacle to Bee-culture consists in the destruction of the 
Bees by the Bee-keeper. 
This cruel and barbarous custom still prevails to a greater or less ex- 
tent in almost every portion of the country. It necessarily prevents 
the legitimate and natural increase of colonies, and limits greatly the 
profits which might otherwise be derived from them. This has been 
done under the mistaken apprehension that this procedure becomes 
necessary in order to secure the avails of their labor. This policy is 
about as wise as it would be for the poultry-keeper to destroy his fowls 
in order to get possession of the eggs which are found within; or it 
