ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 77 



be three or four barrels of water standing about the apiary. Wait- 

 ing-one-quarter of a minute for water, sometimes means the loss of 

 a swarm, For throwing the water, Whitman's fountain pump is the 

 best. With this a stream of water can be thrown 30 or 40 feet. If 

 two swarms issue at the same time, they can frequently be kept 

 apart by the use of the pump. It is not necessary to throw a stream 

 of water directly into the center of a swarm, but along one side of it, 

 with a sort of sweeping movement of the arm, that makes the stream 

 fall in a sort of shower. The bees dislike water and edge away 

 from it. In this way they can be driven in any direction. Two or 

 three pails of water thrown in this manner upon a swarm seems 

 to disconcert the bees, and they begin looking for an alighting place. 

 If the operator once has a swarm well in hand, there is plenty of 

 water, and he knows how to use it, it is well nigh impossible for a 

 swarm to get away. 



When queens are allowed to accompany swarms, there ought to 

 be no tall trees near the apiary, as the swarms wzY/ cluster where 

 it is dif&cult, even dangerous, to get them. It should be possible to 

 reach the tops of all trees with a long, light ladder. If the tops of 

 the trees can all be reached from a step ladder, so much the better. 

 Besides the pails of water, the fountain pump, and ladders, the bee- 

 keeper will need three or four baskets. Clothes baskets are ex- 

 cellent. Upon one side should be sewed a cover of burlap. When 

 the swarm has been shaken into the basket, the cover can be thrown 

 over the top of the basket, and will keep the bees from flying out. 

 Blocks of wood nailed to the corners of the cover hold it from being 

 blown off or from dropping into the basket, should the bees cluster 

 upon the cover. If set in a cool place, a swarm may be left in such a 

 basket several hours. When the hive is in readiness to receive the 

 swarm, the cover to the basket may be turned back, and the bees 

 shaken down in front of the hive. A few of the bees soon find the 

 entrance, and set up their "call" of a home is found, when the others 

 follow them into the hive. If another swarm comes out, and 

 attempts to join the one just entering its hive, a large sheet may be 

 thrown over the hive. 



Where several swarms come out at the same time and unite, the 

 best that can be done is to divide them up as nearly equal as possible, 

 into several swarms. When a queen is found she is to be caged. 

 Any swarm that has no queen will soon show its queenlessness by 

 its restlessness. The bees will begin running out of the hive and 

 taking wing. One of the caged queens should then be given such a 

 swarm, when, as by magic, the bees will change their behavior and 

 gojnto the hive. 



