252 SUMMER. 



to be too cool for any bees to be outside — any unusu^.! 

 stir, or commotion, similar to wbat Las been described, 

 sbows the loss. This is the worst time in the year to 

 provide the remedy, unless there should happen to be 

 some very poor stock containing a queen, that we 

 rnight lose any way — then it might be advisable to 

 sacrifice it to save the other, especially if the last con- 

 tained all the requisites of a good stock except a queen. 

 Some eight or ten, that I have managed in this way, 

 have given me fall satisfaction. I have at other times 

 let them go till the swarming season, and then pro- 

 cured a queen, or introduced a small swarm ; at which 

 time they are so reduced as to be worth but little, even 

 when not affected by the worms. To obviate this loss 

 in this way, it might be an advantage to transfer the 

 bees to the next stock, if it was not too full already-; 

 or the bees of the next stock to this. Let the age and 

 condition of the combs, quantity of stores, &c., decide. 



CHAPTEE XV. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 

 PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE irNDEKSTOOD. 



Artificial swarms can be made with safety at the 

 proper season. .To the bee-keeper who wishes to in- 

 crease his stocks, it will be an advantage to understand 

 some of the principles. I have had some little experi- 

 ence that has led to different conclusions from those of 

 some others. I have seen it stated, and found the asser- 

 tion repeated by pearly every writer, that 'f whenever 



