ARTIFICIAL SWAKMS. 255 



some effect on the bees, and prevent their rearing a 

 queen. This idea suggested the dividing hive, when 

 the division could be made quietly ; but success was 

 yet uncertain. I was told to confine the bees in the 

 old stock twenty-four hours or more, after driving out 

 a swarm ; this I tried, with no better results. Again, 

 I drove out the swarm, looked out the queen, and re- 

 turned her to the old stock, compelling the new 

 swarm to raise one. To be certain they did so, I con- 

 structed a small box about four inches square, by two 

 in thickness ; the sides glass. In this I put the piece 

 of brood-comb containing eggs and larvae, and then 

 ;put it on the hive containing the swarm, having holes 

 for communication, a cover to keep it dark, &c. They 

 were very sure to rear queens, but from some cause 

 were lost after they were matured. 



Now, if others have been more successful in these 

 experiments than myself, it indicates that some favor- 

 able circumstances attended them that did not me. I 

 have not the least doubt but the result will be favor- 

 able sometimes. Yet from the foregoing, I became 

 satisfied that not one of these methods could be relied 

 upon. Instead of constructing a queen's cell, and then 

 'removing the egg'or larva to it fi-om another cell, I 

 always found that the cell containing such egg or 

 larva was changed from the horizontal to the perpen- 

 dicular ; such cells as were in the way below were cut 

 off, probably using the material in forming one for 

 royalty, which, when finished, contains as much ma- 

 terial as fifty or a hundred others. 



My experiments did not end here. I can now make 



