OR, MANTJAI, Of THB APIARY. 299 



suspended wire-basket, with a tripod to sustain it, etc., are 

 often recommended. These are not much seen in the apiaries 

 of our best bee-keepers. Always let ing-enuity have its perfect 

 work, not forgetting that the object to be gained is to get just 

 as many of the bees as is possible on the alighting-board in 

 front of the hive. Carelessness as to the quantity might 

 involve the loss of the queen, which would be serious. The 

 bees will not remain unless the queen enters the hive. Should 

 a cluster form where it is impossible to brush or shake them 

 off, they can be driven into a basket, or hive, by holding it 

 above them and blowing smoke among them. All washes for 

 the hive are more than useless. It is better that it be clean 

 and pure. With such, if they are shaded, bees will generally 

 be satisfied. But assurance will be made doubly sure by 

 giving them a frame of brood, in all stages of growth, from 

 an old hive. This may be inserted before the work of hiving 

 is commenced. Mr. Doolittle thinks this does little or no good, 

 and tends to induce the building of drone-comb. Mr. Bet- 

 singer says they are even more apt to go off ; but I think he will 

 not be sustained by the experience of other apiarists. He 

 certainly is not by mine. I never knew but one colony to 

 leave uncapped brood ; I have often known them to swarm out 

 of an empty hive once or twice, and to be returned, after brood 

 had been placed in the hive, when they accepted the changed 

 conditions, and went at once to work. We should expect this, 

 in view of the attachment of bees for their nest of brood, as 

 also from analogy. How eager the ant to convey her larvK 

 and pupae — the so-called eggs — to a place of safety, when the 

 nest has been invaded and danger threatens. Bees doubtless 

 have the same desire to protect their young, and as they can 

 not carry them away to a new home, they remain to care for 

 them in one that may not be quite to their taste. Of course if 

 swarming is permitted either with or without clipped queens, 

 the bees must be closely watched at the swarming season. Dr. 

 Miller secures a bright, active girl or boy to watch. He says 

 the watcher can sit in the shade and go and look once in every 

 four or five minutes. For 100 colonies it takes the whole time 

 of one person, as the noise made by so many flying bees makes 

 actual inspection of all hives necessary. This watching is 



