ORDER VI. VEIN-WINGED INSECTS. 283 



empty one of the same diameter is placed immediately over 

 it, with a cloth around the centre where the two join, in order 

 to prevent the bees from molesting the operator. The sides 

 of the lower hive are then gently beaten with sticks in or- 

 der to make the bees ascend to the upper one, which event 

 may be ascertained by a loud humming noise, and soon the 

 whole community will have gone into the new hive, and 

 then may be removed to the apiary. Besides this method 

 there are two others used to drive the bees from one hive 

 into another, viz., by filling the hive with smoke or water. 

 In the latter case there is little danger of killing the bees, 

 for they are very hard to die by drowning ; and often, after 

 being in the water a whole hour, and taken out apparently 

 dead, they will soon revive if they are placed upon a warm, 

 dry sheet. By this latter process it may be more easily as- 

 certained what is the number of the bees, and the condition 

 of the queen, etc. If bees from several hives have been 

 partially drowned and afterward resuscitated, they may all 

 be put into one hive, and they will live peaceably together, 

 provided only that there is one queen left with them a new 

 hydropathic remedy that might be employed with advant- 

 age, perhaps, in cases of domestic or national discords ; so 

 that, instead of granting divorces, or violently separating 

 States, we would recommend this easy method of making 

 hostile parties live peaceably together. 



If either of these methods of depriving the bees of their 

 wax and honey should be adopted, it may be done in the 

 month of June, soon after the first swarm has left the hive, 

 or it may be done in the month of October. The depriva- 

 tion in the beginning of summer has this advantage, that 

 you can take all the honey and wax from them, because the 

 bees will have time enough during the summer and fall to 

 store up food sufficient for their winter use, provided that 

 the country affords good pasture for them. It has other 

 advantages also, and important ones too. In the first place, 



