yo 



BEE-FARMING. 



it will act far bstter without — a string may be tied, 

 and held in the hand of the operator, and. when ilie 

 bees are shaken into the bag, by pulling the cord they are 

 prevented from escaping. 



We make use of it thus. Having got it in readiness, 

 when the bees are observed to begin clustering, of course 

 the nrst thing to be attended to is the hive and table on 

 which they are to be placed for a few minutes after hiving 

 before they are finally removed to their permanent stand. 

 Then suddenly shake the bough with the end of the pole, 

 the bees will drop into the bag — very few will be left on 

 the branch after a vigorous shake. Slowly bringing them 

 down to the table, hold the bag for a few minutes beside 

 the hive, which should be slightly raised on the side 

 nearest the bees, to allow of free ingress. The bees, 

 seeing a home in readiness, will not be long in taking pos- 

 session of the new tenement. You need not fear securing 

 the queen at the first shake, and, if any of the bees are at 

 all disposed to take refuge again on the bough, lay across 

 it a smoking or smoldering rag, which will quickly drive 

 away every bee to the hive below. The table should be 

 placed beneath the tree if possible. 



It will not take long to hive them in this easy way. 

 I have succeeded in securing them, persuading them to 

 settle in the new home, and removing them to the stand, 

 in fifteen minutes ; in half-an-hour afterwards they have 

 commenced working as if nothing had happened. We first 

 learned this simple plan from Quinby's ^ee Book, but it 

 seems still to be unknown by bee-keepers in this country. 



ON FEEDING BEES. 



We have not always sunshiny weather, clouds come 

 and rain — rain coming down incessantly for days together. 

 All seasons are not alike ; some years are noted for their 



