176 THE BEE KBEPEK'S MANUAL. 



the busiest part of the year, to the management of their 

 bees. The swarming season is with the farmer, the very- 

 busiest part of the whole year, and if he purposes to keep 

 a large number of swarming hives, he must not only devote 

 nearly the whole of his time, for a number of weeks, to 

 their supervision, but at a season when labor commands the 

 highest price, he will often be compelled to hire additional 

 assistance. 



I have long been convinced that, as a general rule, the 

 keeping of a few colonies in swarming hives, costs more 

 than they are worth, and that the keeping of a very large 

 number is entirely out of the question, unless wiih those who 

 are so situated that they can afford to devote their time, for 

 about two months every year, almost entirely to their bees. 

 The number of persons who can afford to do this must be 

 very small ; and I have seldom heard of a bee-keeper, in 

 our country, who has an Apiary on a scale extensive 

 enough to make bee-keeping anything more than a sub- 

 ordinate pursuit. Multitudes have tried to make it a large 

 and remunerating business, but hitherto, I believe that they 

 have nearly all been disappointed in their expectations. In 

 such countries as Poland and Russia where labor is deplora- 

 bly cheap, it may be done to great advantage ; but never to 

 any considerable extent in our own. 



4. A serious objection to natural swarming, is the dis- 

 couraging fact that the bees often refuse to swarm at all, 

 and the Apiarian finds it impossible to multiply his colonies 

 with any certainty or rapidity, even although he may find 

 himself in all respects farvorably situated for the cultivation 

 of bees, and may be exceedingly anxious to engage in the 

 business on a much more extensive scale. 



I am acquainted with many careful bee-keepers who have 

 managed their bees according to the most reliable informa- 



