220 SUMMEE. 



swarms issue, they will generally* mix peaceably, btit 

 in proportion as time intervenes between the issues, so 

 will be. the liability to quarrel. Yet, I have united two 

 families of about equal numbers in the fall and spring, 

 and, with a few exceptions, have had no difficulty. 



SWAKM-CATCHKR. 



There is another method of keeping swarms separate, 

 contrived and used by a Mr. Loucks, of Herkimer Co., 

 N. Y. He calls it a swarm-catcher ; he has a half 

 dozen of them, and says he would not do without for 

 one season, for fifty dollars, as he has a large apiary. 

 I made one as near as I could from seeing his, without 

 taking the exact measure. I got out four light posts 

 four and half feet long, one inch square ; then twelve 

 pieces of one-quarter inch stuff, four inches wide ; the 

 four for the top twelve inches long, for the bottom two 

 were fourteen inches long, and two were twenty. These 

 were thoroughly nailed on the ends of the posts, mak- 

 ing it into an upright frame, the other four pieces were 

 nailed around the middle, which made the frame firmer. 

 I made a frame for the top, of four pieces, each an inch 

 and a half in width, and half inch thick, halved at the 

 ends and nailed together, and fastened by hinges to 

 one side of the top, and a catch to hold it shut. The 

 whole was now covered with very thin cloth to admit 

 the light, but not so open as to let the bees through, 

 (Mr. Loucks used cloth made for cheese^trainers.) I 

 now had a covered frame four and half feet high, 12 

 inches square at the top, at the bottom 14 by 20, with 

 a door or Ud at the top, to let out the bees. On each 

 side of the bottom I tacked a piece of common muslin, 



