I feel free to say that no person who reads, thinks, and studies--and success in apiculture can be promised to no other--will ever be content to use the old box-hives. In fact, thought and intelligence, which imply an eagerness to investigate, are essential elements in the apiarist's character. And to such an one a box-hive would be valued just in proportion to the amount of kindling-wood it contained. A very serious fault with one of our principal bee-books, which otherwise is mainly excellent in subject matter and treatment, is the fact that it presumes its readers to be box-hive men. As well make emperors, kings, and chivalry the basis of good government, in an essay written for American readers. I shall entirely ignore box-hives in the following discussions, for I believe no sensible, intelligent apiarists, such as read books, will tolerate them, and that, supposing they would, it would be an expensive mistake, which I have no right to encourage, in fact, am bound to discourage, not only for the benefit of individuals, but also for the art itself. To be sure of success, the apiarist must be able to inspect the whole interior of the hive at his pleasure, must be able to exchange combs from one hive to another, to regulate the movements of the 'bees: by destroying queen-cells, by giving or withholding drone-comb, by extracting the honey, by introducing queens, and by many other manipulations to be explained, which are only practicable with a movable-frame hive. MOVABLE-COMB HIVES. There are, at present, two types of the movable-comb hive in use among us, each of which is unquestionably valuable, as each has advocates among our most intelligent, successful and extensive apiarists. Each, too, has been superseded by the other, to the satisfaction of the person making the change. The kind most used consists of a box, in which hang the frames which hold the combs. The adjacent frames are so far separated that the combs, which just fill them, shall be the proper distance apart. In the other kind, the frames are wider than the comb, and when in position are close together, and of themselves form two sides of a box. When in use, these frames are surrounded by a second box, without a bottom, which, with them, rests on a bottom board. Each of these kinds is represented by various forms, sizes, etc., where the details are varied to suit the apiarist's notion. Yet, I believe that all hives in present use, worthy of recommendation, fall within one or the other of the above named types. THE LANGSTROTH HIVE.