DAIRYING, THE HORSE, AND BEES 269 



does not bring as high prices as the light and delicate 

 honey made from the first three flowers above mentioned. 



Swarming. 



One of the greatest trials of the beekeeper comes 

 in May, June and July, when the bees are liable to 

 ''swarm. " If left to themselves along in the early sum- 

 mer, the number of bees becoming too great for the 

 hive, a large body of them with the queen will start out 

 in the middle of some bright day to seek a new home. 

 Before locating permanently they generally cluster on 

 some bush or tree nearby while scouts are sent out in 

 search of a new location. If taken at this time and put 

 into a new hive they at once go to work, and if early 

 in the season, before the supply of honey becomes 

 short, they will make a strong colony. This natural 

 swarming is a very uncertain operation, and necessi- 

 tates constant watching, as often swarms will come out 

 when no one is near to hive them, and they disappear 

 and are lost. Swarming is delayed and sometimes pre- 

 vented by putting on extra sections when the bees seem 

 to be idle, but the most certain method is by artificial 

 swarming. This consists in first driving nearly all of 

 the bees into a hive placed upon the one to be divided. 

 Two or three frames containing young brood are placed 

 in the centre of the new hive, which is then placed upon 

 a new stand, two empty frames being put in the old hive. 

 The new colony will soon fill the empty frames and rear 

 a queen from the young brood of the two frames given 

 them and both will become strong colonies. 



The details of caring for bees at all seasons can only 

 be learned by closely watching them and studying 

 some of the recent and up-to-date books on the subject 

 like "A. B. C. of Bee Culture," and by visiting some 

 good apiary. 



