THE srrjRMING SEASON. 6, 



lost or had never left the hive. We have been unmercifully 

 condemned as a heretic and unbeliever by all the good old 

 maiden ladies of the village in which ws reside merely be- 

 cause we have opposed this needless task of ringing the 

 swarms, and would never allow it to be used in our garden. 

 In everything else we can gain their goodwill, but here v/e 

 have failed, so we are given to understand, by their con- 

 stantly asserting " your bees cannot prosper." 



We now stay to inquire why it was first introduced 

 by our forefathers. Like many other customs, which at 

 first were really useful, and originally valuable for their 

 intended purpose, it has been corrupted, or become useless. 

 In days long since past, when stones even were quite a 

 sufficient guide as landmarks, and as such were honoured, 

 bees then were far more valuable than now, because of 

 their scarcity. Their owners, when swarming was per- 

 ceived, at once gave timely notice to all the neighbourhood, 

 by tanging or ringing, that the swarm was the right and 

 property of the person so occupied in ringing. By thus 

 giving notice he was allowed the privilege of following, or 

 what we should now call trespassing, on his neighbour's 

 land to claim his swarm. We also believe they had 

 another object in view in thus giving notice, viz.: for the 

 neighbours to come forward in a friendly way to aid him 

 in securing the swarm. We are aware another reason 

 has been assigned for this custom, which is nothing but 

 pure superstition ; it has been stated that the tanging was 

 intended to drive away evil spirits, and prevent them 

 having any influence over the bees. 



Swarming is simply this, — the old hive becomes over- 

 peopled by its industrious inmates, so, not having sufficient 

 room for storing and breeding, they are compelled to 

 emigrate. When the hive becomes thus overstocked, we 

 observe them hanging out at the entrance in a large 

 cluster, not unlike an immense bunch of grapes. This 



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