i'l'AH CYCLOPEDIC OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR 



We never knew a swarm to go directly away without clustering, the 

 Krst time they came out. Hence the beating of tin pans, and throwing 

 water, or sand among an issuing swarm is all nonsense. But if they rise 

 directly up and seem inclined to make off, a good dash of M^ater or sand 

 will often bring them down, probably on the principle that they think it 

 a bad day for swarming. Wire swarm-catchers are sometitnes used. A 

 bushel l)asket on a suital)lo handle is excellent, when a swarm is to be 

 shaken down from a limb. 



V. Taking the Honey. 



Never undertake to work iibout a colony of bees unless you are sure 

 they are tilled with honey. At the first alarm of any kind, tapping on 

 the hive, or smoking, their first impulse is to 

 fill themselves with honey, to be ready for 

 any emergency. Once filled, which need not 

 take nu)i-e fhan five minutes, they are quiet, 

 and will not sting unless they are hurt ; pro- 



BELLOWS AN1> SMOKING TUBK. ^.^.^.^j ^^^j^^,^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^.^^^^^^^^ ^j^^ j^^^^^^^ ^^^j 



pay no attention to the flying bec^s — if you do you will get stung. A good 

 form of smoker — very little smoking will do — is given in the cut. A few 



whiffs from a smoker's pipe answers 

 very well. If any honey wished to be 

 removed, sticks, loosen it or cut through 

 jjoNEY KNIFE. it with a thin knife. The cut shows the 



best form of honey knife. 



VI. Wintering Bees. 



A gooa siaiid for bees is a simple shed, tight on the sides and facing 

 the cast ; the roof should be water-proof ; if then you have shutters for 

 the front to l)e put up in winter, to keep out drifting snow, you have a 

 good place both for summering and for wintering bees. Bees, of course, 

 may be most economically wintered in a cold, dry, light, well-ventilated 

 cellar ; but this again belongs to the professional Ai)iarist, and wants nice 

 manao-ement. The healthiest and best place for the farmer to winter 

 bees is in such a house as we have mentioned, further protected with 

 cornstalks, or straw mats. The hives should be placed within twelve 

 inches of the ground ; this is, also, the pi-oper distance for summer. The 

 main thing in summer is to guard against extreme heat, and in winter 

 against driving storms, especially snow. Bees will stand extreme cold, if 

 they are healthy, and the hive contains thirty pounds of honey in the 

 autumn. They cannot stand wet, nor snow drifted among them in the 

 hives. ; 



