174 THE BEE KEEPEK'S MARUAl, 



losses, by the flight af their bees to the woods. It is next 

 to impossible, entirely to prevent such occurrences, if bees 

 are allowed to swarm at all. 



2. The great amount of time and labor required by nat- 

 ural swarming, has always been regarded as a decided 

 objection tO' this mode of increase. 



As soon as the swarming season begins, the Apiary must 

 be closely watched almost every day, or some of the new 

 swarms will be lost. If this business is entrusted to thought- 

 less children, or careless adults, many swarms will be lost 

 by their neglect. It is very evident that but few persons 

 who keep bees, can always be on hand to watch' them and to 

 hive the new swarms. But, in the height of the swarming 

 season, if any considerable number of colonies is kept, the 

 Apiarian, to guard against serioa-s losses, should either be 

 always on the spot himself, or have some one who can 

 be entrusted with the care of his bees. Even the Sabbath 

 cannot be observed as a day of rest ; and often, instead of 

 being able to go to the House of God, the bee-keeper 

 is compelled to labor among his bees, as hard as on other 

 d'ays, or even harder. That he is as justifiable in hiving his 

 bees on the Sabbath, as in taking care of his stock, can ad- 

 mit of no serious doubt ; but the very liability of being 

 called to do so, is with many, a sufficient objection against 

 Apiarian pursuits. 



The merchant, mechanic and professional man, are often 

 so situated that they would take great interest in bees, if 

 they were not deterred from their cultivation by inability 

 to take care of them, during the swarming season; and they 

 are thus debarred from a pursuit, which is intensely fascinat- 

 ing, not merely to the lover of Nature, but to every one 

 possessed of an inquiring mind. No man who spends some 

 of his leisure hours in studying the wonderful habits and 



