FARMER'S MANUAL. 17 



thering the swarm, when they take their honey 

 both are bad ; and the latter is not only bad, as 

 being unprofitable, but absolutely cruel, and unne- 

 cessarily so. To remedy these evils, the Apiarians 

 in all countries have been led to the improvement, 

 both in the form of the hive, and method of dividing 

 the profits of their labours with the Bees, and yet 

 preserve the swarms. Happy for the cause both of 

 interest and humanity, they have succeeded. Had 

 these Amateurs been agreed in one result, as being 

 the best of all their experiments, I might now say so. 

 and close this chapter with their joint recommenda- 

 tion ; but their decisions are so various, it may be 

 useful to sketch a few of their improvements, as ex- 

 emplified in the form of their hives. 



The storying system has been, and is now, greatly 

 approved in France, and was invented by Gelieu ; yet 

 Chis system has its opposers now, even in France, 

 and with some severity. All are agreed, that the sto- 

 rying system has its advantages, as well as some dis- 

 advantages ; yet one thing ^s certain, it divides the 

 labours, or profits, of the Bees, without injury, or dis- 

 turbance, to their lives, or labours. This system has 

 also been strongly approved and recommended by 

 Bonner, in Scotland : also by Ducouedic, of the 

 Canton of Maure. This is the common straw 

 hive placed on a pedestal, or table. The Bees it 

 contains were a swarm of the 21st of June, 1812. 

 In this state, they passed the summer, autumn, 

 and winter, and on the 21st of March, 1813, it. 

 would be nine months old. On the 2 1st of March, 



1813, the first story will be added to it, and this 

 is called a Scotch hive, in compliment to Bon- 

 ner. This hive will remain in the state of a sin- 

 gle story, for an entire year, to the 21st of March, 



1814. If the population of the hive has been consi^ 

 derable, and the season favourable, during the first 

 year, it may be expected in the second to throw off 

 one or two strong swarms. On the return of tl>p 



14 



