20 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



keep her safe ; if not, I cut out the combs one by one, as she 

 does not always drop, but holds on to the combs. After I have 

 found her, I sweep the bees into a clean empty hive, and lay a 

 piece of paper or sheet of tin upon the hive, punched full of 

 small holes a sixteenth of au inch over ; then set the hive I 

 wish them to unite with, upon the paper or tin, and keep them 

 separate twenty-four hours ; then draw the paper or tin out, and 

 they will soon ascend and unite with the stock. In uniting 

 my weak swarms, as above described, I secure the strength of 

 my stocks, which having swarmed often in summer, are weak 

 in bees, though heavy in honey. 



The health of my bees I consider very important. No one 

 can expect to have strong and healthy bees, unless they are 

 properly ventilated. Ventilation is important in the hot season 

 of the year, but not so important as in winter, as then a good 

 deal of steam rises from the breath of the bees, which, if it has 

 no way of escape, will settle on the top of the hive inside, and 

 become water, and run down upon the combs and on the sides 

 of the hives, and freeze. Thus the bees are kept damp, and 

 are likely to die with the rot, or become so weak in the spring, 

 as not to be worth much. To prevent this harm to my bees, 

 I have a hole cut in the front of my hives, two inches from the 

 top, two inches long and three-eighths of an inch deep. This 

 serves as a ventilator and second door. I also keep the holes 

 leading from the hives into the boxes, open, which lets off 

 much of the damp air. 



I never kill young swarms because they have not honey 

 enough to stand the winter, but rather unite them to some 

 stock that has enough and to spare, as they will more than pay 

 for doing it the next season. Twenty pounds is enough to 

 winter a good swarm. 



I would not recommend" taking up old stocks, as the honey 

 is poor, but would recommend cutting out some of the bottom 

 combs when they become furred up with age. This may be 

 done by the aid of a bee-dress, or the puff-ball. Puff-balls may 

 be found by the way-side, or in pastures ; they should be pick- 

 ed when half ripe, and put in a cloth and pressed to half their 

 size, then dried in the sun. When ripe they give a dirty pow- 



