OR, MANUAL OF THK APIARY. 303 



ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 



While, as already remarked, there is no better way than to 

 allow swarming- as just described, when one's circumstances 

 make it possible to do so, yet it is true that some of our best 

 bee-keepers prefer to divide. In some cases the bee-keeper can 

 be with his bees only at certain times— often early in the 

 morning, late in the afternoon, or perchance at the noontide 

 hour ; then, of course, artificial dividing becomes necessary. 

 It is practiced to secure any desired increase of colonies, also to 

 prevent loss from swarming when no one i&by. This requires 

 more time than swarming, as detailed above, and may not — 

 probably often doos not— secure quite as good results. Yet I 

 am very sure, from a long experience, that, with sufficient care, 

 artificial colonies may be formed that will fully equal natural 

 swarms in the profits they bring- to their owners. I am sure I 

 could get ten colenies from one in a season, and if I had combs 

 and should feed I think I could nearly double these fig:ures. 



HOW TO DIVIDE. 



Mr. Cheshire argues against natural swarming^ and in 

 favor of dividing-, as the former tends, through selection, to 

 develop the swarming habit. I do not accept his reasoning, as, 

 unless we permit swarming, we can not tell what colonies to 

 breed from, as we have no way to know their tendencies. 

 Often, too, swarming only indicates great prolificness. By 

 the process already described, we have secured a goodly num- 

 ber of fine queens, which will be in readiness at the needed 

 time. Now, as soon as the white clover harvest is well com- 

 menced, early in June, we may commence operations. If we 

 have but one colony to divide, it is well to wait till they become 

 pretty populous, but not until they swarm. Take one of our 

 waiting hives, which now holds a nucleus with laying- queen, 

 and place the same close alongside the colony we wish to 

 divide. This must be done on a warm day, when the bees are 

 active, and better be done while the bees are busy, in the mid- 

 dle of the day. Remove the division-board of the new hive, 

 and then remove five combs well loaded with brood, and, of 

 course, containing some honey, from the old colony, bees and 

 all, to the new hive. Also take the remaining frames and 



