S-VVARMING AND HIVING. 169 



they are to be met with, even in large treatises on Bee-Keep- 

 ing. Vague or imperfect directions always fail, just at the 

 moment that the inexperienced attempt to put them into 

 practice. 



Before leaving this subject, I v?ill add to the directions for 

 hiving already given, a method which I have practiced with 

 good success. 



When the situation of the bees does not admit of the bas- 

 ket being easily elevated to them, the bee-keeper may carry 

 it with him to the cluster, and then after shaking the bees 

 into it, may lower it down by a string, to an assistant 

 standing below. 



That Natural Swarming may, with suitable hives, be 

 made highly profitable^ I cannot for a moment question. 

 As it is ihe most simple and obvious way of multiplying 

 colonies, and the one which requires the least amount of 

 knowledge or skill, it will undoubtedly, for many years at 

 least, be the favorite method with a large number of bee- 

 keepers. I have therefore, been careful to furnish suitable 

 directions for its successful practice ; and before I discuss 

 the question of Artificial Increase,- 1 shall show how it may 

 be more profitably conducted than ever before ; many of 

 the most embarrassing difficulties in the way of its success- 

 ful management being readily obviated by the use of my 

 hives. 



1. The common hives fail to furnish adequate protection 

 in Winter, against cold, and those sudden changes to unsea- 

 sonable warmth, by which bees are tempted to come out 

 and perish in large numbers on the snow ; and the colonies 

 are thus prevented from breeding on a large scale, as early 

 as they otherwise would. Under such circumstances, they 

 can make no profitable use of the early honey-harvest ; 

 and they will swarm so late, if they swarm at all, as to have 

 15 



