158 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



day the most favorable time for doing this ; others again prefer 

 the evening but either will answer, and the trouble attending 

 is not greater than that of hiving them when the swarms are 

 allowed to come out in the common manner, and the danger of 

 having them go off is avoided. Another very great advantage 

 of this method is, the young swarms commence working early, 

 by which they are more likely to lay up sufficient food for the 

 whiter." 



2. Robbing the Hives. The old practice, still followed by 

 many, is to kill the bees by suffocation, whenever the most 

 favorable time has arrived for taking the honey. To suffocate 

 the bees, the hive is inverted over an empty hive or a hole in 

 the ground in which some rags smeared with sulphur are burn- 

 ing. The bees drop down and are buried to prevent resuscita- 

 tion. This is believed by some shrewd and experienced bee- 

 keepers to be the most profitable if not the most humane plan. 



Polish apiarists cut out the comb annually to lessen the 

 tendency to swarming, and thus obtain the largest amount of 

 honey. In sectional hives it is readily taken out without killing 

 the bees ; and where these improved hives, as they are called, 

 are not used, the comb may be cut out by merely stupefying 

 the bees with sulphur or tobacco smoke. The time for taking 

 up hives depends somewhat upon the season and pasturage; 

 but the quantity of honey does not generally increase after the 

 first of September. 



3. Wintering. To winter safely a swarm of bees, thirty 

 pounds of honey are considered requisite. Only strong swarms 

 are profitable to winter ; therefore those that are found in the 

 fall to be weak in numbers and with little honey had better be 

 taken up. In the northern portions of the United States means 

 are generally used to protect the swarms in winter, by removal 

 to some cool and dry out-house or cellar ; but many apiarists 

 contend that this practice is not only useless but hurtful, and 

 that hives should not be removed from their usual situations. 



4. Feeding. Bees are sometimes fed, when not able to sup- 

 ply their own wants, with a syrup made by dissolving brown 



