24 THE COTTAGE AND FAKM BEE KEEPER. 



hive, by the insertion of a few stones, to allow space for a current of 

 cool air between it and the hive, which will be very grateful to the 

 bees, and tend to further the hive's prosperity. 



Now in this case, that is, the substitution of the new hive for the 

 old one, in all probability no further issue of swarms will take place 

 from the old stock, for the major part of the population having gone 

 off with, or subsequently joined, the prime swarm, there is every like- 

 lihood that the first-hatched princess will issue from her cradle before 

 the population shall have sufficiently increased as effectually to control 

 her actions, notwithstanding the large quantity of brood which is 

 always left behind by the old queen. In this case, which will happen 

 nine times out of ten, the newly-liberated queen rushes wildly about 

 the hive, inflamed by instinctive impulse to a most vindictive rage, 

 plunges her sting into every royal cell still occupied by brood, and 

 destroys every rival, thus remaining undisputed mistress of the hive. 

 Here, of course, no more swarms will issue ; but — and mark the ad- 

 vantage of this result — instead of a succession of miserable casts pro- 

 ceeding from the hive to trouble and annoy the apiator, and blight his 

 prospects for another year, (which casting almost invariably produces, 

 as the casts are in general worthless, and the old stock becomes too 

 impoverished to survive the winter,) there will stand till the spring 

 following the original stock, besides the prime swarm, both presided 

 over by young and vigorous queens, and having a teeming and youth- 

 ful population. 



In the former case, however, where the first-hatched princess of the 

 year was forced to lead off the prime swarm, (this being not located 

 on the. old stand,) a cast must certainly be looke 1 for, which will prob- 

 ably issue from the hive two or three days after the first; that is, un- 

 less the first swarm was remarkably large. Instead of suffering it to 

 stand as a distinct stock, I would advise it to be returned to its parent 

 hive the same day. As, however, it would probably re-issue the fol- 

 lowing day, (and every day so long as there remained any royal brood,) 

 I would recommend the apiator, after hiving*the Cast in the usual way, 

 to lift the old hive off its stand, turn it up in a pail, and cut out every 

 royal cell that he can see. Owing to the probably small number of bees 

 left behind, after the issue of the cast, the operation is a very simple 

 and easy one. When the royal cells have been removed, bring the 

 cast in its temporary hive, and turn it quickly bottom upwards in the 



