5 
the nature and habits of that very interesting and prof- 
itable little insect, the honfiy-bee ; and as my object in 
this little work is to explain the McDonald System and 
Hive I will try to do so in as plain and brief a mauner 
as possible. 
s 
EXPLANATION OF THE SYSTEM AnL ^IlIVE 
In the above diagram we represent the double hive 
ready to divide. The hive as it now stands on the mid- 
dle of the bench, which is three feet and four inches 
long, and one foot aud two inches wide, is capable of 
holding two hives, side by side. This bench has strips 
tacked down on each edge one-fourth inch thick, one 
inch wide, so that two sides of the hive will rest on 
these strips. These will close the two sides and at the 
same time raise the hive sufficiently to let (he bees pass 
in aud out on each side of the hive This bench must 
be placed so the bees will be free to form the habit of 
working out and in on both sides of the hive. You 
will find that about an equal number of the bees have 
formed the above habit by the 20th of May. 
