SWARMING AND NON-SWAEMING SYSTEMS. 71 



go beyond 150 lb. tbe first season, but we have never seen 

 an unswarmed stock-hive approach that weight. And, 

 besides the superiority of the first swarm over the hive 

 which did not swarm, there are the mother hive and pro- 

 bably a second swarm from it, weighing by the end of 

 the season from 50 to 80 lb. each. Of course these 

 weights wUl not be gained in seasons unfavourable for 

 honey-gathering ; and in very unfavourable years, when 

 bees have to be fed, the fewer hives we have the better, 

 — as, in times of calamity or famine, or want of work, the 

 working classes of Manchester and other cities find it 

 cheaper to give up house and take lodgings — two or 

 three families swarming into one house, instead of each 

 family paying rent for a whole house. But, even hi 

 ordinary seasons for honey-gathering, the swarming system 

 is by far the most lucrative. 



If asked to explain how it is that swarms put into 

 empty hives gather more honey and do better than hives 

 not weakened by swarming, we might not be able to do 

 so satisfactorily ; neither can we explain how it is that 

 a spring-struck verbena plant grows more vigorously and 

 does better than an autumn-struck one. As with verbena 

 plants so with bees : swarms do better, and often run 

 ahead of stock-hives. 



However, we may venture to guess, or give our opinion, 

 as to the reasons why good early swarms of the current 

 season outdo those that never swarm at all. 



1st, The stimulus of an empty hive makes the bees 

 work harder. In the absence of combs, aU the eggs laid 

 by the queen must be lost. Combs must be buUt to hold 

 both eggs and honey. For the iirst two or three days, 

 the greater part of the honey gathered is eaten by the 

 bees with a view to secrete wax for comb-building, which 

 goes on with marvellous rapidity. Liebig thinks that it 

 takes 20 lb. of honey to make 1 lb. of wax ; but let us 



