these long cells are
all cut down (except at the top and upper corners) to the proper length
for breeding, and used for this purpose. This has been done for five
years in succession.

I will grant that there is a little waste room in such spaces, for part
of the year. It amounts to but little, as it is only outside. They are
necessitated to make such combs, because the inside combs, if built in
a breeding apartment, however crooked one may be, the next one will
generally match it, the right distance from it. But when they are built
expressly for storing honey, in such as are made in boxes, the right
distance is not so well preserved; hence it is not recommended to
compel bees to use such storing apartment for breeding. But suppose we
should compel a swarm to labor under these disadvantages, I should not
apprehend such disastrous results, (providing they have a proper
proportion of worker cells,) as no swarms, or even no surplus honey, as
has been represented. Imagine a hive filled with combs that are all too
thick, and room wasted when cut down, to the amount of one-fourth of
all that is in the hive. Now here are combs enough left to mature
three-fourths as many bees as in an ordinary hive, where all are right.
We can now suppose a good swarm will bring home the same amount of
honey as though it belonged to other hives; only three-fourths as much
can be fed to the brood, and stored in the hive; and the result ought
to be, that we get a quarter more surplus honey in boxes. Even if we
get no swarm, I cannot see how our surplus honey can be less, as in
this case there would be more bees at all times than in a hive that had
been reduced by swarming.

Does experience substantiate the theory that stocks with crooked combs
are as profitable as when they are straight? When combs are built
expressly for breeding, I could never discover any difference. Any
person can easily test it by a little observation; not by taking a
solitary instance of only one hive, because some other cause might
produce the result. Take a half-dozen at least with straight combs, and
as many with them crooked; have them all alike in other respects, and
carefully watch the result. I think you will have but little interest
which way the combs are made, providing _they are made_, as far as
profit is concerned. It is true, it would gratify order to have them
all straight, and if it was not attended with more trouble than the
result would pay for, it would b