ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



127 



trance of tlie old hive. "When the doors of the two are so 

 near each other, some of the bees in the swarm will pro- 

 bably return to the mother hive. This we prevent by so 

 altering the appearance of the door for a day or two that 

 the bees do not know it, and after working one or two 

 days they will not go back. A few pieces of broken 

 bricks or stones or coals laid on the flight-boards up to 

 the entrance answer admirably. 



The reader wiU remember that we said, the farther 

 hives are placed asunder the better ; and where the arti- 

 ficial system of swarming is practised, the wisdom of that 

 remark will be acknowledged. Artificial swarms must 

 not, like natural ones, be placed 12, or 20, or 40 yards 

 from the stands whence they were taken; for if they are 

 not, the bees will return to their old hives. If moved one 

 or two miles ofi', they will be out of the influence of their 

 old home, and, weather permitting, will do weU there. 

 My father -being on good terms with all the farmers of his 

 parish, was permitted to put his bees on any convenient • 

 place on their farms. "Well^ on an evening he often 

 swarmed three or four hives, put the swarms on a light 

 hand-barrow, and with the assistance of another caiTied 

 them 1^ mile oif, placed them under a hedge, or in an 

 old lime-kiln or quarry, or in any odd corner, where they 

 remained unmolested tiU. they were removed to the moors. 



Bee-Barrow. 



This barrow is simply made by six larch raUs, very 



