BEE-CULTURE. 
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any timo, and the whole hive slid away from the bees. The 
combs can then be opened away from each other like the 
leaves of a book, to be examined, and if necessary can be 
lifted off the hinges and taken out, and, if it is desired, empty 
ones can be put in their place to be filled. They can then 
all be put in position again and the hive placed over them. 
If an open spaco one-fourth or three-eighths of an inch is left 
between the sides of the hive and the frames, the bees will 
not generally build any combs in it, but use it as they do the 
spaces between the combs, as a street orpassage to go through. 
In this construction we have the simple box hive with all the 
combs movable, that they may be taken out and put in at 
pleasure ; and if it is not desirable to do so, they can be left 
untouched, and can be no harm to the bees. It is true that 
neither this or any other hive will make either honey or 
bees. But this gives the keeper an admirable opportunity 
for learning the internal operations of a hive of bees and the 
condition of any particular stock at any time ; and then gives 
him an opportunity of controlling his bees according to his 
intelligence. No system of management will be permanently 
successful, except it be based on intelligence. Neither can a 
person be said to be a bee master until he can open a hive 
and handle the bees without dread. The formidableness of 
this operation disappears after a few judicious trials. It may 
be expected that the next generation will derive more benefit 
than the present from this new mode of managing bees, as 
superstitious notions will be eradicated, and the intelligent 
mode of keeping bees become a habit. Thus, many of the 
bungling mishaps attending a new mode will be avoided. By 
the use of this hive it may be ascertained certainly if the hive 
has lost its queen, and, if so, the means of supplying another 
can easily be given. The presence of worms may be detect- 
ed, and if found may easily be removed. The combs can be 
lifted out and honey poured into them to save a starving col- 
ony. A comb of honey can be taken from one that can spare 
it and given to one that needs it. The contents can all be 
taken out of a hive and put in another while the old one is be- 
ing repaired. When bees die in a hive they better admit of 
cleaning the combs to save for a swarm; they arc most con- 
venient for cuttiug out the old combs; they admit of cutting 
out the drone combs and putting in empty pieces of worker 
comb to prevent rearing too many drones. When it is de- 
