THE HONEY-BEE. 203- 



seconds. There is but one way of preventing second 

 swarms, and that is, by giving them more room, and 

 destroying all the remaining royal cells, as soon as it 

 is ascertained that a young Queen has been hatched, 

 to preside over the community. A first swarm de- 

 parts only on a fine day, when the sky is clear, and 

 the sun shines ; a second, or cast, is not so scrupu- 

 lous. Should the weather become wet immediately 

 after the emigrants have been housed, they must be 

 fed. 



Virgin Swarms. When the swarming season has 

 been early and favourable, a strong first swarm sends 

 forth sometimes a young colony headed by the old 

 Queen. For the first few days after she had taken 

 possession of her new abode, she has laid the eggs of 

 workers in great numbers. Portions of comb con- 

 taining large cells are at the same time constructed, 

 in which she lays the eggs of males. The workers 

 are thereby encouraged to build royal cells ; and, if 

 the weather be favourable, at the end of a month 

 from the time of her leaving her original abode, the 

 old Queen leads off a new band of emigrants. The 

 product of this swarm, if suffered to exist separately, 

 is called virgin honey. What has been said of the 

 value of second, third, and fourth swarms, is equally 

 applicable to swarms of this description. Unless in 

 very particular circumstances, they are not only not 

 advantageous, but positively injurious to the general 

 prosperity of the apiary, and should therefore be 

 prevented. 



A timid and inexperienced cultivator of bees may 



