30 



BEE 



BEE 



same form and size ; with holes 

 corresponding when placed one 

 above another ; it is immaterial 

 which is used for the top, bottom, 

 or centre one, as in every position 

 there will be a correspondence and 

 uniformity. 



" The top box is always to be 

 covered with a board not less in its 

 dimensions, than the top surface of 

 the hive ; with a weight upon it to 

 keep it in its place, and prevent its 

 warping. By having these parti- 

 tions thin, the bees in each box 

 come nearer in contact ; and by 

 having the boxes so completely 

 closed, united only by a communi- 

 cation in the centre, they can be 

 separated by a very little breakage 

 of the comb and honey, as all the 

 cells are parallel with the surface 

 of the boxes ; and in separating 

 them they are cut horizontally and 

 not transversely. 



" When my bees swarm, and 

 having alighted on some branch of 

 a tree, and become quiet, I am 

 generally ready to receive them ; 

 but am careful to introduce them 

 into a clean box, which is prepared 

 by faithfully rubbing the inside with 

 the leaves of sweet balm, hazel 

 nut, or balm of gilead ; moistened 

 in a strong brine, made by the so- 

 lution of clean salt. Having pre- 

 pared two boxes in this way for 

 their reception, I place a clean ta- 

 ble in the shade ; and with a knife 

 or saw cut otf the branch on which 

 the bees have alighted, and place 

 them on the table, and having uni- 

 ted two boxes, place the hole in 

 the lower box directly over the 

 centre of the bees ; with care that 

 it does not press so hard as to in- 



jure them. They generally indi- 

 cate, by their movements, that they 

 know what is designed, and take 

 possession of their new habitation, 

 if they do not immediately retire 

 to their provided tenement, 1 take 

 a small branch of a tree that is 

 clothed with leaves, and gently 

 thrust it in among (hem, and they 

 will leave the branch of which 

 they first took possession, and re- 

 treat into the box for protection 

 without offering to resent any want 

 of civility towards them. 1 gradu- 

 ally lower the box, as they retire 

 into it, till it comes in contact with 

 the (al)le, and leaves them no com- 

 munication to pass out of the box, 

 but by the door. 



" If my bees alight on the trunk 

 of a tree, or on a branch that is too 

 unwieldly to move, or too valua- 

 ble to be cut, 1 set a table under 

 them. If they are high, I suspend 

 a table between ladders, put my 

 boxes on it, elevated a little so as 

 to give them a passage between 

 the lower box and the table ; and 

 with a clean wing or something 

 that is soft, brush the bees in the 

 direction of the table, and they will 

 not fail to take possession of the 

 tenement provided for their recep- 

 tion. Proceeding in this way, I 

 meet with no difficulty in introduc- 

 ing my bees into my new construct- 

 ed hives. The bees ou<iht to be 

 removed as soon as they are quiet, 

 to the place where they are to re- 

 main, before they go abroad, or at 

 evening when they are all in their 

 habitation ; or else many of them 

 will be lost and never again join 

 the swarm. In hiving and moving 

 bees, particular care ought to be 



