2 
On Rational Bee-Keepmg, 
his colonies in good condition, with the least 
possible trouble, and at the same time to 
increase, according to his wants, the produce of 
his apiary, either in honey or in swarms. If, in 
our little manual, we have spoken only of api- 
culture generally, contenting ourselves with that 
kind of hive which we have ourselves adopted, 
it is because we were as yet unacquainted with 
all the different systems of hives in use through- 
out Europe and America ; and even had we 
been acquainted with them, we should still have 
preferred to recommend rational bee-keeping 
with a simple and cheap hive, rather than to 
review systems of hives which seem hardly 
practical, and the high price of which puts 
them out of the reach of the public in general. 
We admit that rational bee-keeping can be 
carried on with all systems of hives ; this, no 
doubt, the fixists, Messrs. Gollin and Hamet, 
French bee-masters, will allow also ; but to 
conclude from hence that we ought to keep to 
the use of hives on the old principle, which 
offer no facilities for the management of bees, 
and reject those with moveable bars, because 
they have not yet come into general use, 
would certainly not be rational. For our part. 
