312 AUSTRALIAN BEE LORE AND EEE CULTURE. 



hand the one on the wing may possess all good qualities; but, if 

 it be the first swarm of the season it will be an old queen, at the 

 least a last season's one, and if her age be not known she should 

 be superseded by a young tested one. I am presuming there are 

 are a few tested queens kept in stock at this season of year. As 

 soon as the swarm has alighted shake them in the usual way, and 

 when they have fairly settled, place them close to the parent hive. 

 Having selected your queen, return the swarm from whence it 

 came, and next morning the combined swarm will set to work 

 equal to a virgin colony. If you wish to make any alteration in 

 the position of your hives, now is your chance. Having put in 

 the new swarm successfully, remove the parent hive to the new 

 position required. On the following day, when the united bees 

 issue to work, not 1 per cent, will return to the former position. 

 The old stock, with the swarm, should be removed to the new 

 position on the evening of the same day the swarm issued forth. 



See that there is plenty of room in the brood-chamber for 

 increase. Don't let new swarms hang out in the sun. When hived 

 see that they are well shaded. Give plenty of ventilation. There 

 will be honey to extract. As far as possible keep the various 

 flavoured honeys separate; it will make a deal of difference in the 

 commercial returns. 



December. 



In some parts of the Colony, where summer is well advanced, 

 the bee-keeper's harvest has fairly begun. On the Northern Kivers 

 it was later than usual, but indications'^ fair for a good honey 

 yield. In the warmer districts swarming should now be checked and 

 stocks kept as strong as possible, if honey be the object ; if increase 

 of stocks is still needed, of course, go on swarming. In these dis- 

 tricts swarms and casts will continue up to the near approach of 

 winter ; these should be returned to the parent hive. Where honey 

 is coming in abundantly, extracting should be carried on whenever 

 about three-fourths of the frames are sealed, even the two outer 

 frames from the brood chamber may be extracted in the early 

 season, but don't be too avaricious, especially towards the end 

 of the honey flow. There is nothing to be gained by it; the bees 

 may want the honey, and it will keep in the cells as well as in 

 bottles, and labour of extracting it and then returning it to the 

 hive is done away with. It never pays to extract from the brood 

 chamber except when the honey flow is very good. 



