BEE FARMER'S CALENDAR. 201 



cloth, supported by a stick about half an inch above the 

 cloth, then knock out the swarm opposite the entrance, 

 they will be received joyfully, and very rarely swarm out 

 a second time, for the cause of it, the young queen, will be 

 speedily carried forth dead. 



Hives which are suffered to swarm too often become 

 so weakened that they seldom do much good that season, 

 whilst second and third swarms, more correctly called 

 casts, are useless as separate stocks. 



Shading biing even more valuable this month than in 

 June, let it not be neglected. In straw hives it is not 

 perhaps so needful as in wood hives; we merely place a 

 white cloth on the top of the hive for two or three hours 

 daily in sultry weather. 



In the bee-farmer's hives, each end bar should be in- 

 spected at least once each week during the whole of this 

 month. In old stocks in active work good returns of 

 honey may be looked for. 



Keep the entrance to the hives clean and allow no 

 obstacle that may in any way prevent free ingress and 

 egress; the prosperity of the colony depends much upon 

 this. 



Towards the close of the month, or early in August, 

 your hives may be taken to the heather, if such should be 

 found, about five miles away from their old stand ; they 

 will thus glean a second harvest. We have known them 

 to come home with as much as sixty pounds in each hive, 

 and this too after having gathered heavy stores earlier in 

 the season from the clover-fields. 



Work, for August. 



Those of my readers who are well up in the manage- 

 ment of their stocks will not need to be told to seek 

 amongst the cottagers in their neighbourhood for con- 



