158 THE APIARY. 



surface can be obtained ; stake this sheet down at the 

 four corners, to' prevent ruts and inequalities, which are 

 great hindrances to the bees going into the bar and frame 

 hive ; place the latter upon the sheet, without its floor- 

 board, having its front raised on blocks or sticks rather 

 more than an inch, — not more, otherwise the bees will 

 cluster, and attach themselves to the lower part of the 

 frames, instead of going up between. These prepara- 

 tions will, perhaps, occupy ten minutes, by which time 

 the swarm will have become settled and tolerably quiet. 

 Then, with a sharp rap, precipitate the bees out of the 

 straw hive on to the sheet immediately in front of the 

 frame hive ; give the straw hive another knock, so as to 

 dislodge all the bees, and then take it quite away, other- 

 wise they may, if it be left near, perversely choose to go 

 into that, instead of the one desired. In some cases, 

 as when the swarm has to be brought from a distance 

 and procured from a cottager about whose skill in carry- 

 ing out these directions there may be misgivings, it is 

 best to give instructions that the swarm be brought 

 horoe after sunset, and then the foregoing directions 

 for inducing the bees to tenant the frame hive may be 

 better carried out. For ourselves, we much prefer the 

 evening for the purpose. A little water sprinkled over 

 them from a watering-pot is likely to induce the bees to 

 quit the ground and go up into the hive more quickly. 



Mr. Langstroth, in his admirable book, " The Hive 

 and Honey Bee," writes : — "If they are too dilatory in 



