ould be fully credited without a test. To return to our subject.

MISTAKEN CONCLUSIONS.

It is supposed by many, when these worms are found on the board, they
get there by accident, having dropped from the combs above. They seem
not to understand that the worm generally travels on safe principles;
that is, he attaches a thread to whatever he travels over. To be
satisfied on this point, I have many times carefully detached his
foot-hold, when on the side of the hive or other place, where he would
fall a few inches, and always found him with a thread fast at the place
he left, to enable him to regain his position if he chose. Is it not
probable, then, that whenever he leaves the combs for the bottom-board,
he can readily ascend again? No doubt he often does, to be driven down
again by the bees. Now, what I wish to get at by all this preamble, is
simply this: that all our trouble and worrying to prevent the worms
from again ascending to the combs--by wire hooks, wire pins, screws,
nails, turned pins, clam-shells, blocks of wood, &c., is perfect
nonsense, when half or more of them would not harm the bees any more if
they did, and might as well go there as any where else. Besides, these
useless "fixins" are very often a positive injury to the bees.

OBJECTIONS TO SUSPENDED BOTTOM-BOARD.

Suppose, if you please, that the worm has no thread attached above, and
your board is far enough from the bottom of the hive to prevent his
reaching it. Of course, he can't get up; but how are your bees to do
any better? The worm can reach as high as they can. The bee can fly up,
you think; so it will, sometimes; but will try a dozen times first to
get up without, and when it does, it is a very bad position to start
from, being a smooth board. In hot weather it does better. Did you ever
watch by a hive thus raised, in April or May, towards night, when it
was a little cool, and see the industrious little insects arrive with a
load as heavy as they could possibly carry, all chilly, and nearly out
of breath, scarcely able to reach home, and there witness their vain
attempts to get among their fellows above them? If you never witnessed
this, I wish you would take some pains for it, and when you find them
giving up in despair, when too chilly to fly, and perishing after many
fruitless attempts for life, I think, if you possess sympathy,
benevolence, or even selfishness, you will be induced to do as I
did--discard at once wire hooks and all