HIVES. 
21 
Jones’ patent. 
Jones’ dividing hive was probably suggested by this 
instinctive principle of the bee, viz. : when a stock by 
any accident loses its queen, and the combs contain 
eggs or very young larva;, they will rear another. 
Now if a hive is constructed so as to divide the brood- 
combs, it would seem quite certain that the half with- 
out a queen, would raise one ; and we could multiply 
our stocks without swarms, the trouble of hiving, and 
risk of their going to the woods, &c. 
AN EXPERIMENT. 
Several yh&rs ago, I thought I had obtained a prin- 
ciple that would revolutionize the whole system of 
bee management. In 1840 I constructed such hives, 
and put in the bees to test by actual experiment, the 
utility of what seemed so very plausible in theory. 
It would appear that this principle suggested the same 
idea to Mr. Jones; perhaps with this difference: I 
think he did not wait to test the plan thoroughly, be- 
fore obtaining his patent in ’42. One vender of rights 
asserted that 63 stocks were made from one in three 
years ; but somehow a" great many that obtained the 
rights, failed in their expeditions. , From my ex- 
periments, I think I could guess at some of the rea- 
sons. 
Mr. A. — “Well, what are the reasons? give us 
your experience, if you please, I am interested ; I had 
the right for such a hive, and had a lot made to order, 
that cost more money in the end than I shall ever pay 
again for anything about bees.” 
