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rely upon securing a yield of honey the first season. A word of 

 warning may be given here. In consequence of the prevalence 

 of bee disease in the country, the bee-keeper should only trade 

 with reliable dealers, and obtain, at the time of purchase, a 

 guarantee of the healthy state of the bees. 



Placing the Swarm into the Hive. 



The swarm may be received either in a skep or in a box. If 

 in the former, the mouth of the skep will be covered with a 

 piece of cheese-cloth or coarse sacking, tied with string. The 

 box, on the other hand, will be covered with a lid, consisting 

 of perforated zinc attached to a wooden frame, which is held 

 in position on the top of the box by means of screws. 



In transferring the swarm to the hive, the beginner should 

 proceed methodically. The entrance should be opened to its 

 full width. A temporary stage in the form of an inclined plane 

 leading up to the hive entrance is erected. This consists of a 

 long board, one end resting on the alighting board of the hive, 

 and the other end on the ground. Over this board a white cloth 

 should be evenly laid. Previous to transferring the bees from 

 box or skep, the bees should be given a little smoke. Having 

 removed the cover, the operator should now lift the box or skep, 

 turn it upside down, and with a sharp jerk dislodge the swarm 

 on to the improvised landing stage. The natural inclination 

 of bees is to run upwards, and in a little time they will all be 

 safely in the hive. A sharp watch ought to be kept to see that 

 the queen is safely in the hive. If the weather be cold at the 

 time, the bees will not run quickly, but a little smoke will have 

 the desired effect. 



When an established stock has been purchased, the bee-keeper 

 will find it a simple task to remove the combs with bees from the 

 travelling box into the frame hive. 



Handling and Manipulating Bees. 



To manipulate bees, the operator must necessarily have a 

 black net veil, to protect the face from stings, and a smoker, 



