NUMBERS IN A SWARM. 299 



undertaken by the young apiarian. At the regular 

 time, the cottager informs his dupe that the swarm 

 is safely housed, and it is taken away under the 

 supposition that it is a first swarm ; for which, per- 

 haps, the price of a guinea has been paid. The 

 truth, however, will soon disclose itself, that the 

 cottager has retained the first swarm to himself, send- 

 ing the second swarm to the ignorant purchaser ; and 

 the question now presents itself, how is this fraud 

 to be discovered ? the solution is immediately at 

 hand. In the formation of the combs, there is one 

 invariable principle peculiar to first and second 

 swarms, which is, that a first swarm always com- 

 mences the erection of their combs in the middle 

 of the hive ; a second swarm always begins their 

 combs at the side. Let, therefore, the purchaser, 

 previously to the removal of the swarm, gently lift up 

 the hive, and so arrive at the position of the combs ; 

 if the foundation commences at the side, pay the 

 price of a second swarm, and no more ; the better 

 plan would be to reject it altogether, and leave the 

 cottager to congratulate himself on the successful 

 issue of his intended fraud. The weight and size of a 

 swarm are good criteria by which to judge whether it 

 be a first or second, but they cannot always be de- 

 pended on, and it is only the professed apiarian who 

 is able to arrive at a just and definite conclusion." 



A good swarm should consist of from twelve to 

 fifteen thousand bees, and such a swarm, hived in 

 May, will have bred many thousands, considering the 

 number of eggs laid by the queen, before the end of 

 June ; and during the whole season, which extends 

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