THE COTTAGE AND FARM BEE KEEPER. 35 



pass it several times_ round the hives, just at, above, and below the 

 points ofjunction, 'taking care to tie it in a bow. A particular atten- 

 tion to these minutiae will save the managers a great deal of trouble, 

 while it will ensure complete success. This being done — and if done 

 nicely, not a bee will have escaped to annoy the operators — let one per- 

 son hold the hives steadily, so that they may not slip apart, while the 

 other seated on the stool provided for the purpose, commences a smart, 

 quick, and regular, but not too violent, drumming against the sides of 

 the reversed and fall hive, (and {his alone,) with the sticks above men- 

 tioned. An alternate series of drummings, with intervals of cessation 

 of a couple of minutes at a time, will soon disturb the population with- 

 in, and compel the bees to ascend into the empty hive after their 

 queen, who is generally among the first to move. The ascent, which 

 is always accompanied with a loud buzzing sound, is frequently ef- 

 fected, (as in the case especially of a strong and full stock with a vig- 

 orous queen,) within five minutes of the first commencement of the 

 drumming ; sometimes, however, it is delayed for many minutes. The 

 operator will soon learn the fittest time for removing the upper hive 

 after a little practice ; the novice I would advise to wait some ten or fif- 

 teen minutes after the first great humming is over. He may continue 

 tapping at intervals against the bottom hive, but very gently, or the 

 bees which had already gone up, might descend, as I have more than 

 once known the queen to do. When the bees are perfectly quiet, the 

 cloth must be unfastened and gently removed without shaking it, else 

 the bees, which may happen to be imprisoned in it, will be flying 

 about in all directions to the dismay of those present. Now let the 

 top hive be quietly taken off and placed on some stool or table with- 

 out jarring it, till what few bees may be left in the old hive have been 

 fumigated with brimstone after the old fashion. A very little sulphur 

 will suffice in this case, "as the fumes will quickly pervade the hive 

 now thinned of its population. After removing the old hive in-doors — 

 where the combs maybe cut out immediately — attention is turned once 

 more to the expatriated bees. If the nearest hive to their old stand, 

 (to which they had best be joined — as but few, if any, will loose them- 

 selves in seeking their old habitation,) have a flat top, let its coverings 

 and bungs be removed, and a piece of perforated zinc be spread over 

 the hole or holes ; the temporary hive may then be set over it, and 

 every cranny effectually dosed, (by which the bees might escape,) with 



