It is the office of the bee-master to assist, not to go in the least degree contrary to nature. We know that when a natural swarm issues forth it has its impregnated queen, and when located in a new abode commences building worker combs, and leaves the building of the few drone combs to a later period; but if a division of the hive should be made by putting half the combs in one hive and half in another, the hive containing the queenless or embryo queen will busy itself with building only drone comb, thus a number of receptacles for useless bees is provided, which tends to weakness, and eventually to loss of the hive. In the plan we have recommended for forming two separate families, we nearly follow the natural state of things; the comb that the queen is upon is the only one that is taken from the hive, and this vacancy should be filled in by moving the frames together so as to leave the empty frame at the end. The bees, under the government of the impregnated queen, construct the combs and furnish their new abode, which, as before stated, they will do with worker cells. By adopting the plan above described, the moveable bar and frame hive will prove far superior to any of the dividing hives, which provide for equal division of the combs. Perhaps the greatest advantage the moveable frame hive possesses is, that a full knowledge can be attained of its exact state as regards the queen, the population and the quantity of food in stock. During weather of a genial temperature, the combs may on any fine day be inspected, and thus a knowledge being gained of the deficiency existing in a hive, the necessary means may be adopted for supplying the want. Sometimes such an examination will verify the fears of the bee-keeper, when, having observed that his bees have ceased to carry in pollen, he has thereby received warning that the queen has been lost at some juncture when no successor to the throne could be provided. Such a hive has entered on a downward course, and will dwindle away entirely unless a queen should be given to it, or else, some combs containing young brood not more than three days old. By the latter method the bee-keeper will gain an opportunity of seeing the bees set about their wonderful process of raising a queen from the brood thus provided for them. When a bee-keeper has become skilful in his calling, he may be desirous to encourage the breeding of queens, or rather of preventing their destruction. He will seek to use the propagating instincts of the worker bees as a set off against that innate hatred of rivalry which prompts the reigning queen to kill the tender royal brood.