SWAKillNG. 211 



among them till they stopped. How much farther 

 they would have gone, if any, would be guessing. 

 That it was the same swarm that started three miles 

 away, appears almost certain ; the direction was the 

 same as seen by all, until they were stopped ; the time 

 in the day also exactly corresponded. 



We will now return to the issuing of the swarms. 

 There will be some emergencies to provide for, and 

 some exceptions to notice. 



TWO OR MORE SWARMS LIABLE TO UNITE. 



If we expect to keep many stocks, the chances are 

 that two or more may issue at one time ; and when they 

 do, they nearly always cluster together (I once knew 

 an instance where only three stocks were kept ; they 

 all swarmed and clustered together). It is plain that 

 the greater the number of stocks, the more such 

 chances are multiplied. 



DISADVANTAGE. 



One first swarm, if of the usual size, will contain 

 bees -enough for profit, yet two such will work together 

 without quarrelling, and will store about one-third 

 more than either would alone ; thg.t is, if each single 

 swarm would get 50 lbs., the two together would not 

 get over 70 lbs., perhaps less. Here, then, is a loss 

 of 30 lbs., besides one of the swarms is about lost for 

 another year; because such double swarms are not 

 generally any better the next spring as a stock, and 

 often not as good as a single one. You will therefore 

 see the advantage of keeping the first swarms 

 Eeparate. 



