SWARMING AND HIVING. 135 



keeper, after shaking the bees into it, may gently lower it, 

 by a string, to an assistant below. 



When a colony alights on the trunk of a tree, or on 

 anything from which they cannot easily be gathered in a 

 basket, fasten a leafy bough over them, without jarring, 

 by a gimlet, and with a little smoke compel them to ascend 

 it. If the place is inaccessible, they will enter a well-shaded 

 basket, inverted, and elevated just above the mass of the 

 bees. I once hived a neighbor's swarm which settled in 

 a thicket, on the inaccessible body of a tree, by throwing 

 water upon them, so as to compel them gradually to 

 ascend the tree, and enter an elevated box. If proper 

 alighting places are not furnished, the trouble of hiving a 

 swarm will often be greater than its value. 



If two swarms cluster together, they may be advan- 

 tageously kept together, if abundant room for storing 

 surplus honey can be given them, as in my hives. Large 

 quantities of honey are generally obtained from such 

 stocks, if they issue early, and the season is favorable. If 

 it is desired to separate them, take two hives, and give a 

 portion of the bees to each, sprinkling them, both before 

 and after they are shaken from the basket, sufficiently 

 to keep them from taking wing to unite again. If possible, 

 secure a queen for each hive. If both queens enter the 

 same hive, one will quickly dispose of the other. The 

 bees in the queenless hive will begin to leave as soon as 

 they ascertain their condition. Prevent this, by shutting 

 them up ; and give them a queen, if you have one at your 

 disposal ; or supply them with a sealed queen, nearly 

 mature, taken from another hive. For reasons assigned 

 in the next chapter, it will not do to compel them to raise 

 a queen from worker-brood. If the Apiarian who uses 

 the common hives does not succeed in getting a mature 



