20^ SUMMER. 



sprinkle them with, water and drive them in ; and by 

 wetting the hive occasionally, it will carry off a large 

 portion of the heat, and make it much more comfort- 

 able. 



CLUSTERING BtSHES. 



If there are no large trees in the vicinity of your 

 apiary, all the better, as there will then be no danger of 

 your swarms lighting on them ; but all bee-keepers are 

 not so fortunate, myself being one of the number. In 

 such a place it is necessary to provide something for' 

 them to cluster on; get some bushes six or eight feet 

 high (hemlock is preferable) ; cut off the ends of the 

 branches, except a few near the top ; secure the whole' 

 with strings to prevent swaying in ordinary winds ; 

 make a hole in the earth deep enough to hold them, 

 and large enough to be lifted out easily. The bees- 

 will be likely to cluster on some of these; they can 

 then be raised out, and the bees hived without diffi- 

 culty. A bunch of dry iTiullein tops tied together on 

 the end of a pole, makes a very good place for clus-'* 

 tering; it so nearly resembles a swarm that the bees 

 themselves appear to be sometimes deceived. I have 

 frequently known them leave a branch where they 

 had begun to cluster, and settle on this when held 

 near. 



The motives for immediately removing the swarm 

 to the stand are, that they are generally more con- 

 venient to watch in case they are disposed to leave; 

 also many bees can be saved. All that leave the hive, 

 mark the location the same as in spring ; several hun- 



