PEARCE METHOD OP BEE-KEEPING 27 



This is the most natural way for bees to get their stores 

 right above them, and invert the pail and the suction will 

 hold the syrup in only as fast as the bees suck it out. When 

 all is done cover up well with some porous material like old 

 cloths or quilts or a tray filled with dry chaff is the best. 

 If you should ever think this double system not the best and 

 wish to change back all you have to do is to set your top 

 hive off again, and you would be just as before. But none 

 that have tried it feel like going back to the old way. There 

 is another time when it will do to change to the double hive 

 and that is about May the first, in this latitude. If you put 

 another body onto the hive, as you already have, it will pre- 

 vent swarming, which is such a nuisance and your bees will 

 be held together through the honey season without swarm- 

 ing and the results in honey are liable to be as large or larger 

 than if they aVe worked the other way and allowed to swarm. 

 At least that was our experience this year when I movea a 

 load of bees home from an apiary where the conditions 

 seemed much more favorable than where mine were placed, 

 and I doubled mine right up while those in the more favor- 

 able yard were left single and yet mine filled the top hives 

 and gave considerable more surplus than those in the single 

 hives and were fine for winter. And this is a fine plan, as 

 where they are doubled in this way in the spring, they are 

 sure to be alright for winter or to be set apart at the end of 

 July to make increase at the end of the white honey flow, if 

 you wish it. 



