AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



403 



soon found that the bees circled round 

 and round, clear above the tall trees, 

 and darted high in the air, on the line, 

 showing that their home was still far 

 distant, and probably beyond the swamp, 

 as it took 12, 13, and 15 minutes for 

 them to return. 



Now taking our bearings as nearly as 

 possible across the swamp, we returned 

 to our team, drove four miles around, 

 and tried to intersect the line opposite 

 to where we left off. An hour, and we 

 are there with a hungry lot of caged 

 bees, which being fed and released, 

 again lined away for home. We had 

 struck the line within a few rods, and 

 shortly had a hundred bees buzzing 

 around, but it being near sundown, we 

 could not distinctly make out a line, but 

 being sure of their close proximity, we 

 returned home. 



Early the next morning we were on 

 hand, and so were the bees. More honey 

 was fed, more flour sprinkled, yet we 

 could not get them to line out. They 

 would dart out among the tall pines, 

 almost without circling. We hunted, 

 and climbed fallen trees for an hour, and 

 at last got a general direction staked 

 out. Then taking a dozen bees about 

 20 rods, to a small clearing, they were 

 again fed and released, and a good line 

 taken, right through the pines. 



Now taking the two starting-points, 

 20 rods apart, like the bottom of a capi- 

 tal letter A, the two lines must intersect. 

 A little figuring, and I made it at a point 

 about 30 rods distant, then told my as- 

 sistant to watch me and see that I 

 started right, and to line me with the 

 stakes. Away I went, then stuck more 

 stakes, and on again. The 80 rods were 

 paced off. and trees examined closely ; 

 bees all around could be heard, yet not 

 discovered. They must be near. The 

 bait was laid on a log I stood on, that 

 had lately burned down, and soon a 

 dozen bees were on it, and flew straight 

 to the broken top of the tree I was 

 standing on, not 30 feet aiway, and in a 

 shattered section of the trunk there the 

 colony lay. 



Giving a hurrah, my assistant soon 

 came, was sent for a hive, and I began 

 work. A smudge was made of green 

 palmetto leaves and moss, then com- 

 menced the work of tearing the tree to 

 pieces with saw and ax. 



The whole colony was soon laid bare, 

 driven on one section of the log, several 

 sheets of brood-comb carefully taken 

 out, cut to size, clamped into frames, 

 and placed in the hive, the honey gath- 

 ered into a pail, and then the section of 

 log carefully laid in front of the hive. 



Filling my pipe, I sat down to watch 

 the result. A few stragglers soon found 

 the combs, set up the home call, and it 

 would have made a wheelbarrow laugh 

 to see that mass of bees spread out on 

 the ground and run for that hive, rolling 

 and tumbling over each other to get 

 there. Half an hour later not a bee was 

 to be seen — all were in the new home. 



Now setting fire to the tree to clean 

 up all the baits and refuse, I picked up 

 the hive, carried it to the buggy, and on 

 my knees home. By noon they were set 

 on their permanent stand, and at 1 p.m. 

 they were working in their new home, 

 cleaning house, and carrying in pollen, 

 as though they had always been there. 



The colored people are utterly amazed 

 at "De way dat ar Yankee ken handle 

 dem bees, do beat eberyting I ere saw!" 



To-day (Feb. 20th) the hive is full of 

 bees and honey, and working nicely. 

 Orange, plum, peach, jasmine and other 

 flowers are in full bloom, and bees revel- 

 ling in sweets here, while in my far- 

 away Minnesota home my yellow pets 

 are housed in the cellar, and must re- 

 main for 60 days yet. Oh, that I had 

 them here for a month ! 



Next week I will try to run the other 

 line, and save more hidden sweets from 

 the depths of a Florida cypress swamp. 



Orange Park, Fla. 



AlisolEtePreyeiitloii Of After-Swarms. 



WrUten for the American Bee Journal 

 BY W. HARMEE. 



As inquiries are coming in for fuller 

 particulars of the plan I adopt for the 

 absolute prevention of second or after- 

 swarms (see page 305) I would say that 

 I brush every bee off the combs of brood 

 into the hive on the old stand, to swell 

 the number in, or of, the prime swarm 

 (which makes a rousing colony for the 

 honey-flow). I cage the queen as soon 

 as I find her, and place the cage on the 

 alighting-board so that the bees return 

 very soon after issuing. 



The bees are hived on empty combs or 

 full sheets of foundation in wired frames. 

 As the queen is caged and safe, I some- 

 times leave this work until the next day, 

 if I am too busy at the time. I admit 

 that this is a little more trouble at the 

 time than hiving the bees on a new 

 stand, leaving brood and bees on the old, 

 as I used to do; but when it's done, it's 

 done — no more anxiety. You will know 

 that it is impossible for an after-swarm 

 to issue from that hive. I drive or start 



