22 
HIVES. 
Do not be too hasty, friend, I think I can instruct 
you to keep bees on principles in accordance with 
their nature, which is very simple, so that if you can 
be induced to try again, we will have the hives cost 
but little, at any rate. 
REASONS OF FAILURE IN DIVIDING HIVES. 
The greatest difficulty with dividing hives, appeared 
to be here. It must be constructed with a partition 
or division to keep the combs in each apartment sep- 
arate; otherwise, we make tearing work in the di- 
vision. When bees are first put into such hives, un- 
less the swarm is very large, and honey abundant, 
one apartment will be filled to the bottom before a 
commencement is made in the other. 
Mr. A. — “ What difference can that make ? It is 
necessary to have the hive full ; if it cannot be all filled 
at once, why let them fill part.” 
The difference is this. The first combs built by a 
swarm are for brood, and store-combs afterwards, as 
needed ; one apartment will be nearly filled with all 
brood-corn bs, and the other with store-combs and 
honey. Now in the two kinds of cells there is a great 
difference ; those for breeding are near half an inch 
in length, while those for storing are sometimes two 
inches or more ; totally unfit for breeding; until the 
bees cut them off to the proper length, which they 
will not do, unless compelled for want of room, con- 
sequently this side of store-combs is but little used for 
brood. When such hive is divided, the chances are 
not more than one in four, that this apartment will 
