5& 



On a warm day, about 11 o'clock, when the bees were flying 

 thick, Ave took the hive from the stand, carried it about twenty 

 feet back and turned it bottom up, having previously stopped 

 the entrance. We then placed a similar hive (empty) on the 

 stand in its place, that the bees which were abroad might enter 

 it ; -vve then opened the bottom of the inverted hive, no bees fly- 

 ing out, as they were completely stupefied with fear ; we placed 

 a box the size of the hive on it, and tied a cloth around the 

 joint to prevent any bees from getting out. We then drum- 

 med with sticks on the sides of the hive ; after a few minutes* 

 drumming, the bees commenced going up, and when we 

 thought we had enough for a swarm — having a glass in the 

 box covered with a slide — Vv'e removed the box, the bees clus- 

 tering in the top like a natural swarm ; we then having a sheet 

 spread upon the ground, struck the box down upon the sheet, 

 emptying the box entirely, and then sprinkled the bees with 

 water from a watering pot to prevent their flying. Then 

 placing a hive for them as for a natural swarm, we moved the 

 old hive back to its place on the stand, so that any stray bees 

 might enter it. Shaking the bees from the decoy hive, which 

 we had placed temporarily on the stand, all the returning bees 

 entered the old hive, none leaving. When the driven swarm 

 had entered the new hive, which they did very kindly — it con- 

 tained no comb or anything to entice them^ — we moved the old 

 hive about thirty feet, and placed the new swarm where the 

 old one had stood, and the process was complete, having occu- 

 pied about forty minutes. So well satisfied was our incredu- 

 lous friend, that he concluded to operate on his hive the next 

 day if we would assist him. Now for the result. The new 

 swarm went to work immediately, and in twelve days filled the 

 hive, holding one bushel, and the same season gave us twenty 

 lbs. of nice honey. The next season they threw oflf a very 

 large swarm the 25th day of May, and two afterwards that 

 season. 



The old swarm, after recovering from their depression occa- 

 sioned by the loss of their queen, raised a new queen, became 



