NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 161 
But should you discover the bees running to and fro in 
great commotion, although quict at the entrance, you 
should lose no time in sprinkling those outside with water. 
They will instantly enter the hive to avoid the apprehend- 
ed shower. In half an hour they will be ready to start 
again, during which time the others may be secured. 
When any of the subsequent swarms are disposed to 
unite with those already hived, throw a sheet over to keep 
them out. An assistant is very useful at such times; one 
can watch symptoms, and detain the swarms, while an- 
other hives them. Occasionally, when waiting for aswarm 
to start, two may do so simultaneously. Whenever a part 
was already on the wing, I never succeeded in retarding 
the issue; it is then useless to try to drive or coax them 
back. To succeed, the means must be applied before any 
part of the swarm leaves. Two or more swarms will clus- 
ter together and not quarrel, if put into one hive. 
SEPARATING SWARMS. 
Spread a sheet on the ground, shake tho bees upon the 
center of it, and set an empty hive each side of the mass ; 
if too many are disposed to enter one hive, set it farther 
off. They should be made to enter rapidly. There are 
even chances of getting a queen in cach hive. The hives 
should now be placed twenty feet apart ; if cach has a 
queen, the bees will remain quiet, and the work is done ; 
but, if not, the bees in the one destitute will-soon mani- 
fest it by running about in all directions, and when the 
queen cannot be found, will leave for the other hive, where 
there are doubless two; a few going ata time. In this 
case set the queenless portion one side, turn the remain- 
der out upon the sheet, and let them enter as before, keep- 
ing watch for the queens, which indeed should be borne 
in mind from the beginning. As the number of bees 
is much lessened, the chances of sseing the queen are 
