■ 182 Swarming. 



CHAPTER X. 

 mCEEASE OF COLONIES. 



No subject will be of more interest to the beginner ,_ than 

 that of increasing stocks. He has one or two, he desires as 

 many score, or, if very aspiring, as many hundred, and if a 

 Jones, a Hetherington, or a Harbison, as many thousand. 

 This is a subject, too, that may well engage the thought and 

 study of men of no inconsiderable experience. I believe that 

 many veterans are not practicing the best methods in obtain- 

 ing an increase of stocks. 



JBefore proceeding to name the ways, or to detail the meth- 

 ods, let me state and enforce that it is always safest, and gen- 

 erally wisest, especially for the beginner, to be content with 

 doubling, or certainly with tripling, his number of colonies 

 each season. Especially let all remember the motto, "Keep 

 all colonies strong. " 



There are two ways to increase: The natural, known as 

 swarming, already described under natural history of the bee ; 

 and the artificial, improperly styled artificial swarming. This 

 is also called, and very properly too, ' ' dividing. " 



SWAEMING. 



To prevent anxiety and constant watching, and to secure a 

 more equable division of bees, and, as I believe, more honey, 

 it is better to provide against swarming entirely by use of 

 means which will appear in the sequel. But as this requires 

 some experience, and, as often, through neglect, either neces- 

 sary or culpable, swarms may issue, the apiarist should be al- 

 ways ready with both means and knowledge for immediate ac- 

 tion. Of course, necessary hives were all secured the previous 

 winter, and will never be wanting. Neglect to provide hives 

 before the swarming season is convincing proof that the wrong 

 pursuit has been chosen. 



If, as I have advised, the queen has her wing clipped, the 

 matter becomes very .simple, in fact, so much simplified that 

 were there no other argument, this would be sufficient to 

 recommend the practice of clipping the queen's wing. Now, 



