NATURAL PERIOD OF SWARMING. 235 



failure. Swarming is the result of natural laws, but 

 it only occurs with a favorable combination of those 

 laws. 



The question might here be asked : Is not the sys- 

 tem of dividing bees a departure ? We answer that 

 the transferring of a tree is a departure from those 

 laws, but it is done successfully if nature's laws are 

 properly observed ; so with that of dividing a family 

 of bees. 



CONDITIONS REQUISITE TO SWARMING. 



When the hive is full of comb, with a large pro- 

 portion of it full of brood, and all the spaces within 

 the hive crowded with bees, if the pasturage is abund- 

 ant and drones have made their appearance, swarms 

 may be expected at almost any time. (I have in a 

 few instances known them to swarm when their hive 

 was not over half full of comb and bees in propor- 

 tion.) These, however, are exceptions to the general 

 rule. During the summer of 1858, 1 had two swarms 

 issue under the above circumstances, out of one hund- 

 red hives; but in 1859, out of four hundred colo- 

 nies formed, not a single swarm issued in the natural 

 way, eithel from full or partly filled hives. 



NATURAL PERIOD OF SWARMING. 



The natural period of commencing to swarm in 

 this vicinity, (Sacramento) is from the first to the 

 twentieth of April ; but in some very favorable local- 



