92 



HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



SO far, the bees will return to their old stands. If moved 

 one or two miles off, they will be out of the influence of 

 their old home, and, weather permitting, wiU do well 

 there. My father being on good terms with aU the 

 farmers of his parish, was permitted to put his bees on 

 any convenient place on their farms. Well, on an even- 

 ing he often swarmed three or four hives, put the swarms 

 on a light hand-barrow, and with the assistance of an- 

 other carried them 1^ mUe off, placed them under a 

 hedge, or in an old lime-kiln or quarry, or in any odd 

 corner, where they remained unmolested till they were 

 removed to the moors. 



Bee-Barrow. 



This barrow is simply made of six larch raUs, thin and 

 light, not weighing many pounds— being held together 

 by eight screws or nails. As soon as the bees are placed, 

 the screws are withdrawn, the rails tied together, and 

 carried home. "We had an exceedingly light and con- 

 venient barrow of this kind made of five pieces of bam- 

 boo-cane. When only two hives are removed, a common 

 " yoke" placed across the shoulders — the hives hanging 

 like a couple of pails of water — is a safe mode of carriage. 



It vsdll be seen and understood that we take care to see 

 that the old queen goes with every first swarm. Hence 

 we look for her — and the way and time of doing so has 

 been already described. But it is not absolutely neces- 

 sary to see the queen in every swarm, or even to look for 

 her. Young beginners, mere 'prentice hands in bee-man- 



