28 



BEE 



BEE 



puck, and immediately place the 

 stotk of bees over it, tying a cloth 

 around the hives, that no smoke 

 may come forth. In a minute's 

 time, you will hear the bees fall 

 like drops of hail, into the empty 

 hive. You may then beat the top 

 of the hive gently with your hand, 

 to get as many of them as you can : 

 After this, loosing the cloth, lift the 

 hive ofTto a table, knock it sever- 

 al times against the table, several 

 more bees will tumble out, and 

 perhaps the queen among them. 

 She often is one of the last that 

 falls. If she is not there, search 

 for her among (he main body in the 

 empty hive, spreading them for 

 this purpose on a table. 



" You must proceed in the same 

 manner with the other hive, with 

 the bees of which these are to be 

 united. One of the queens being 

 secured, you must put the bees of 

 both hives together, mingle them 

 thoroughly, and drop them among 

 the combs of the hive which 

 they are intended to inhabit. — 

 When they are all in, cover it 

 with a packing or coarse cloth, 

 which will admit air, and let them 

 remain shut up all that night, and 

 the next day. You will soon be 

 sensible they are awaked from their 

 sleep. 



" The second night after their 

 union, in the dusk of the evening, 

 gently remove the cloth from off 

 the mouth of the hive, and the bees 

 will immediately sally forth with a 

 great noise : But being too late 

 they will soon return. Then keep 

 them confined for three or four 

 days ; after which the door may 

 be left open." 



it is convenient to have a pane 

 of glass in each hive, in order to 

 watch the motions of the bees, and 

 to know by inspection when is the 

 right time to take up a hive. The 

 Rev. Mr. White says, "In the 

 back part you must cut a hole with 

 a rabbit in it, in which you are to 

 fix a pane of the clearest and best 

 crown glass, about five inches in 

 length, and three in breadth, and 

 fasten it with putty. Let the top 

 of the glass be placed as high as the 

 roof within side, that you may see 

 the upper part of the combs,where 

 the bees with their riches are 

 mostly placed. You will, by this 

 means, be better able to judge of 

 their state and strength, than if 

 your glass was fixed in the middle. 



The glass must be covered with 

 a thin piece of board, by way of 

 shutter, which may be made to 

 hang by a string, or turn upon a 

 nail, or slide sideways between two 

 mouldings. Such as are desirous 

 of seeing more of the bees' works, 

 may make the glass as large as the 

 box will admit, without weakening 

 it too much. Or they may add a 

 pane of glass on the top, which 

 must likewise be covered with a 

 shutter, fastened down with pegs 

 to prevent accidents. 



" Be careful to fasten the shutter 

 so close to the glass, that no light 

 may enter ; for the bees seem to 

 look upon such light as a hole or 

 breach in their house, and on that 

 account may not so well like their 

 habitation." 



" It is no unusual circumstance 

 for one colony of bees to attack 

 and plunder the hive of another. — 

 This happens chiefly in the spring 



