THE APIARY. 15 
These facts are of value to the beginner, and should be 
carefully observed, until experience dictates what modifi- 
cations are allowable. Modern experiments prove that 
by observing the necessary conditions, bees may be moved 
short distances without detriment. 
I have, in the evening, prepared hives for removal, and 
taken them, before light the next morning, three miles 
away, and was positive that not a bee had escaped from 
the hives. Before noon, quite a number of bees could be 
seen flying around the stands from which the hives had 
been removed. I naturally inferred, that these bees had 
found their way back from the new location. I am now 
fully convinced that I was in error. These, I think, 
were bees that had left the hive, so late the night pre- 
vious, that they were overtaken by darkness, and were 
unable to reach their home. After becoming sufficiently 
warm the next morning, they had returned to find them- 
selves homeless. 
C. C. Van Deusen, of Sprout Brook, N. Y., purchased 
several swarms of a neighbor about half a mile distant, 
and moved them to his own yard, after their lines were 
thoroughly established at home. Upon releasing them, 
he smoked them thoroughly, so that all filled themselves 
completely with honey, and the result was, that the new 
location was marked, and no bees returned to the former 
stands. 
In 1869 we purchased twenty swarms of bees in box 
hives and moved them twomiles. We afterwards desired 
to move them half a mile, and did so, but before releasing 
them, transferred them to movable frames. This opera- 
tion so thoroughly confused and demoralized them, that 
this new location was marked, and there was no resulting 
loss. I have never found it necessary to move bees 
shorter distances, yet I see no reason why, with the requi- 
‘site .care.and skill in manipulation, they may not be 
‘moved to as little distance as may be desired, especially, 
