166 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



enter a basket well shaded by cotton cloth fastened around 

 it, and elevated so as to rest with its open top sideways to 

 the mass of the bees. When small trees, or limbs fastened 

 into the ground, are placed near the hives, and there are 

 no large trees near, there will seldom be found any diffi- 

 culty in hiving swarhis. If two swarms light together, I ad- 

 vise that they should be put into one hive, and abundant room 

 at once be given them, for storing surplus honey. This 

 can always be readily done in my hives. Large quantities 

 of honey are generally obtained from such stocks, if the sea- 

 son is favorable, and they have issued early. If it is desired 

 to separate them, place in each of the hives which is to 

 receive them, a comb containing brood and eggs, from 

 which, in case of necessity, a new queen may be raised. 

 Shake a portion of the bees in front of each hive, sprinkling 

 them thoroughly, both before and after they are shaken out 

 from the basket, so that they will not take wing to unite 

 again. If possible, secure the queens, so that one may be 

 given to each hive. If this cannot be done, the hives should 

 be examined the next day, and if the two queens entered 

 the same hive, one will have killed the other, and the queen- 

 less hive will be found building royal cells. It should be 

 supplied with a sealed queen nearly mature, taken from 

 another hive, not only to save time, but to prevent them 

 from filling their hive with comb unfit for the rearing of 

 workers. (See Artificial Swarming.) Of course, this can- 

 not be done with the common hives, and if the Apiarian does 

 not succeed in getting a queen for each hive, the queenless 

 one will refuse to stay, and will go back to the old stock. 



The old-fashioned way of hiving bees, by mounting trees, 

 cutting and lowering down large limbs, (often to the injury 

 of valuable trees,) and placing the hive over the bees, fre- 

 quently crushing large numbers, and endangering the life of 



