BEES, 



branch may be gently cut off and laid on the ground ; 

 and then the hive, supported on two sticks, is to be set 

 over them, and the whole covered with a sheet, when 

 they will soon ascend into the hive and commence work- 

 ing". In the evening, when all is still within, the hive i* 

 to be placed in the bee-house. 



In dealing with bees, care should be taken not to 

 breathe on them, as nothing is more irritating to them. 

 When they are to be scraped together, make use of a 

 ■wing for the purpose. It is advisable to fit your dress 

 to them, by putting on clothes through which they can- 

 not sting; and to protect the face, and particularly the 

 eyes, by a pair of goggles. But at the time of swarm- 

 ing they are less inclined to sting than usual. If two 

 clusters form in swarming, and remaitr separate, a queen 

 will be found in each ; and as no swarm that leaves a 

 hive is ever too large, one of the queens must be de- 

 stroyed, and then they will unite. 



The hive should be proportioned to the size of the 

 swarm ; one, therefore, weighing from 4 to 6 pounds, 

 should have a hive that will contain about 2 or 3 pecks. 

 The hive is to have a hole in the top, say two inches 

 square, which is to be covered with a sliding shutter ; 

 and is to be kept closed until the hive is filled. When 

 this is the case, which is to be known by the bees lying 

 inactive about its mouth, open the hole above, by draw- 

 ing the shutter back, and set a small hive on the top, 

 into which they will ascend, and fill it with the purest 

 honey, without any mixture of bee-bread. When the 

 tipper hive is full, take it off in a cool morning, when 

 the bees are inactive, and carrj? it into a room with the 

 windows open to the sun, and as this enlivens them they 

 will fly off to the hive left standing, to join their com- 

 panions in filling another small hive, which is to be plac- 

 ed on the top, as before. When this is full, take it away, 

 and put another in its place, which, in due time, is also 

 to be taken away ; closing the shutter, and leaving thq 

 lower hive for the winter food of the swarm. The up- 

 per hives should be sufficiently lar'^-e to contain about 17 

 pounds of honey, which the bees, if the swarm is as 

 large as it should be, will usually till about 3 times in 

 the season. In taking out the honey from these small 



