S4: AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND BEE CULTURE- 



Are not the parables of the bees and the hen parallel or 

 analogous, the one of the other? The seasons and the local and 

 natural conditions combined were suitable, and these produced 

 the laying conditions, the brooding instinct, and the maternal 

 love of offspring until these latter were capable of shifting for 

 themselves. It was not because the hen-house was too small that 

 the hen commenced to lay, sit, and hatch ; that would militate 

 against it. So the seasons and the blossoming of honey and pollen- 

 producing plants, etc., cause the swarming instinct to take hold 

 of the bees. It is Nature's way of guarding against the extinction 

 of the race. 



With bee-keepers swarming is always spoken of under two 

 heads — natural and artificial. I am only dealing with the former. 

 T much prefer a natural swarm to one produced artificially. The 

 conditions attending a natural swarm are far more satisfactory. 

 To my mind bee-keeping is robbed of a large (percentage of its 

 interest when no swarms issue forth. The delight of witnessing 

 the swarm hurrying pell-mell from the parent hive ; the tinkling 

 of the tin kettle, antiquated now in good bee-keeping society, 

 following the vagabonds, the houseless wanders hither and thither 

 full of expectation as to where they will alight ; the joy of listen- 

 ing to the calling of the wanderers home to the alighting bush ; 

 the picturesque sight of the increasing and clustering swarm 

 hanging pendulously from the tiny twig of leaflets; the pleasure, 

 at one time highly seasoned with fear, of shaking them into the 

 straw hive for their new home ; the frequent visits during the day 

 to see that all is well ; at nightfall wrapping them in cloth to carry 

 them home ; the placing of them on the stand with care and cau- 

 tion ; and the following days of superintendence — are pleasures of 

 my early bee-keeping days that will never be blotted from my 

 memory. Even now such experiences are full of interest to 

 amateur bee-keepers, and give rise to feelings that artificial 

 swarming never produce ; but then artificial swarming is for profit 

 and not pleasure. 



Who shall draw the line of demarcation between the swarm- 

 ing instinct and the swarming intelligence of bees ? They have 

 no infallible rule as to when they shall swarm. The season may 

 be propitious, the swarm may be strong and healthy, the young 

 queens may be in the cells ready to emerge, and the workers' 

 lioney-sacs filled for the anticipated journey, but let the weather 

 •change to unfavourable conditions, all the preparations will come 



