I know of no better way for the novice to study the habits of the honey-bee than can be done by an observation hive, such as is illustrated in fig. 19. This hive has but one comb which is inserted between two plates of glass. Anyone can make such a hive at small expense. Get out a frame, groove for the glass to slide in, leaving an inch and a quarter between the glass for the comb and frame. Wooden covers are used to keep out the light. Arrange it so that the bees pass to and from the hive under the bottom sash of a window, and in such a way that no bees can enter the room. When thus arranged there is no danger of anyone being stung while observing the bees work. Here every movement of the colony and queen can be seen, and all work from the laying of the egg to the sealed brood may be seen at any time; how the bees remove pollen from their legs; how they behave when deprived of their queen, and how they start and build a queen-cell, store honey in the combs, etc. [Illustration: Figure 19] If the observation hive contains a small colony of bees and an unfertile queen, it will be seen that the bees do not take the least notice of her. Apparently she is of no more consequence before becoming fertile than other bees in the hive; yet should she be removed from the colony, the bees would soon miss her, and make as much fuss over her loss as they would had she been a fertile queen. The fact that bees pay no attention to a queen, is the best evidence that she is not fertile. COMPARATIVE SIZE OF QUEENS [Illustration: Figure 20] [Illustration: Figure 21] Figure 20 nicely and accurately represents a large, fine and well-developed fertile queen bee. I have reared many queens equally as large as the one illustrated in above cut. Figure 21 is a good and life-size view of an unfertile queen. Such queens vary much in size. No one should judge of the size of a queen until she is given a chance to develop in a full colony of bees. Queens kept in small nucleus colonies never reach full development. They must be given larger quarters in order to show to what size they will attain. PREVENTING HONEY FROM CANDYING Some years ago I accidentally discovered a process by which honey that has once candied can be preserved in the liquid state for a long time. It is my opinion that it is much the best plan to let all honey candy and then liquify it. Possibly there are some kinds of honey that if treated by the process below given, would not remain in the liquid state only a short time. But for most kinds the treatment will be a success, and preserve it many months.