Bl!ES, BTJTO- HIVES, AND BEE CULTURE. 81 



others have described a similar process, no doubt originally, as far 

 as they knew, therefore still more useful to us as a coulirmation of 

 the value of Mr. Woodbury's discovery. 



This operation we performed, exactly as described above, with 

 one of our improved cottage hives one afternoon at the latter end 

 of May, 1862. Whilst inspecting our bees, we caught sight of the 

 queen on the comb in one of the bell glasses. This was a chance 

 not to be missed, and we immediately resolved to form an artificial 

 swarm, for the hive was very full of bees. Besides, being obliged to 

 be away from the apiary most of the week, we were glad of the 

 opportunity of so easily establishing a colony without the uncertainty 

 and trouble of hiving a natural swarm. In the first place we slid 

 a tin under the bell glass, and removing tlie stock "hive from under- 

 neath we took it a few feet away ; then we placed an empty improved 

 cottage hive where the old stock had stood, and put the glass of comb 

 containing the queen and a few bees over one of the holes in the 

 crown of this new empty hive. The bees that were left abroad, 

 belonging to the old stock returned as usual to their old entrance 

 as they supposed ; soon a sufficient number formed a large cluster 

 in the hive and began comb building, the queen remaining in the 

 glass until the cells below were sufficiently numerous for her to 

 deposit her eggs in them. The division answered exceedingly well, 

 both hives prospered; the old hive either had some princesses 

 coming forward to supply the loss of the queen, or the bees used a 

 power that they possess of raising a queen from worker brood in 

 the manner we have previously described.* 



The foregoing account illustrates the successful formation of an 

 artificial swarm ; but with a cottage hive it was quite a matter of 

 accident to have been able to get possession of the queen. With a 

 a moveable frame bive she can at any suitable time be found. 



Precisely the same plan is to be adopted with the old stock in 

 the frame hive as we have described in the case of the cottage hive, 

 that is to remove it some few paces off : when the hives are in a 

 bee-house, a similar result may be attained by placing the new 

 swarm for a day or two to the entrance used by the bees when 

 with the old stock, and the old stock may be removed to an 

 approximate entrance. Some apiarians recommend that a space be 

 left between the two hives, by placing the hives on the right and 

 * See section 1, page 5. 



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