SWARMING AND DEPRIVING SYSTEMS. 49 
results if may have brought him. But on the other 
hand Mr. Langstroth’s advice must be heeded, that 
even to double the stocks every year is often too fast a 
rate for obtaining a surplus of honey. A middle course 
between the two systems is therefore advisable. But 
surely, the more gatherers the more honey, it may be 
argued. Ultimately so, but not till a settled condition 
is reached. Suppose there are sixty thousand bees in 
a hive, and half of these leave ina swarm. This half 
can store no honey in their new residence till they 
have first formed the wax and built the combs, and 
though they perform this with great rapidity, yet each 
worker must fill itself with honey abstracted from the 
old hive in order to acquire the power of wax-secret- 
ing; then, while the old hive is nearly emptied of its 
outdoor workers, a large portion of those in the new 
one, all outdoor by profession, will be required at 
home, sealing up the cells and nursing the brood— 
and thus about an entire month in tle best portion of 
the year will find many of them diverted from the 
pursuit of honey-gathering, to which, had they 
remained where they were and with plenty of. room 
provided, every one of them would have been able 
uninterruptedly to adhere.* 
The advantages afforded by the frame hives now 
adopted by nearly every systematic apiculturist permit 
of every desirable variation in the rate at which 
swarming is suffered to be carried on. The bee- 
* Till the contrary is proved it may be taken as self-demonstrating 
that none but adult bees go with a swarm—not necessarily the very 
oldest, but those only whose regular period for flying has arrived. 
Uence the above assumption that a/Z the home-workers in a new colony 
are outdoor iabourers diverted from their natural calling. 
E 
