154 KATUBAL AND ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 



not be the case, when swarms are allowed to issue natur- 

 ally, the deduction is, that this course is not productive 

 of best results. Yet, as there are very many who will 

 continue to follow this system of management, until 

 they more fully appreciate the advantages to be gained by 

 changing it, I shall give some space to Mr. Quinby's di- 

 rections concerning natural swarming. 



In the previous editions of this work, as well as in all 

 books upon the subject up to the present day, this has 

 been considered as one of the most interesting topics to 

 be discussed. With his usual attention to minute details, 

 Mr. Quinby gave very profuse instructions for all possi- 

 ble emergencies, but I shall only make such quotations 

 as are most essential for beginners, and those who have 

 not come to practice the most advanced modes of increase 

 of colonies. 



WHEN SWABMING COMMENCES. 



The swarming season in this latitude sometimes com- 

 mences May 15th, and at other times July 1st. It usu- 

 ally ends about the 15th of the latter month. I have 

 known two seasons in Montgomery Co., N. Y., when 

 swarms continued to issue throughout the entire summer, 

 beginning in May and ending August 25th, with no in- 

 terval of more than a week without swarms. One ol 

 these, 1863, was wet, and the flowers yielded but little 

 honey. The native bees sent out about one-third the 

 usual number of swarms, while the Italians continued to 

 swarm for three months. They did not store much more 

 honey than others, but they must have collected more to 

 feed the greater quantities of brood which they reared. 

 Rather than be idle when the yield was scanty, they col- 

 lected material, made combs, reared brood, and sent out 

 swarms ; and at the end of the season the colonies were 

 as strong, and had as much honey as the natives, which 

 had not swarmed. 



