MANAGING BEES. 55 



explained in rennarks on Rule 2, is heard by 

 the other, wljich always results in a battle be- 

 tween them, or the issue of a swarm in the 

 course of a day or two. 



Bees, when placed in a dark room in the 

 upper part of the house, or some out-house, 

 are easily cultivated a short time with little 

 trouble, and are sometimes made profitable to 

 their owner ; but as they are liable to some 

 of the same casualties as those kept in swarm- 

 ing hives, they cannot be as profitable. 



Large colonies never increase their stock in 

 proportion to the swarming colonies. There is 

 but one female in a large colony, and they can 

 do but little more in raising young bees than 

 to keep their stock good by replenishing them 

 as fast as they die off or are destroyed by the 

 birds, reptiles and insects, which are great ad- 

 mirers of them, and sometimes swallow them 

 by dozens. Now if it requires five swarming 

 colonies to be equal in number to the one first 

 described, it is not diflicult to imagine that five 

 times as many bees may be raised by the 

 5* 



