l>8 



AN EASY METHOD OF 



spring. They learn their home by the ob- 

 jects surrounding them in the immediate vi- 

 cinity of the hive. Moving them, (unless 

 they are carried beyond their knowledge,) 

 is often fatal to them. The old bees forget 

 their new location, and on their return, when 

 collecting stores, they haze about where they 

 formerly stood, and perish. I have known 

 some fine stocks ruined by moving them six 

 feet and from that to a mile and a half. It 

 is better to mov-e them before swarming than 

 afterwards. The old bees only will be lost. 

 As the young ones are constantly hatch- 

 ing, their habits will be formed at the new 

 stand, and the combs will not be as like- 

 ly to become vacated, so as to afford op- 

 portunity to the moths to occupy any part of 

 their ground. 



Swarms, when first hived, may be moved 

 at pleasure without loss of bees, admitting 

 they are all in the hive ; their habits will be 

 formed in exact proportion to their labors. — 

 The first bee that empties his sack and goes 

 forth in search of food, is the one whose hab- 

 its are first established. I have observed 

 many bees to cluster near the place where 

 the hive stood, but a few hours after hiving, 

 and perish. Now if the swarm had been 

 placed in the apiary, immediately after they 



