FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



165 



down the queen. If, by chance, a young queen is in the 

 upper hive, I do not like to put her down until she com- 

 mences laying and her wing is clipped, for fear of her tak- 

 ing out a swarm. It seems a foolish operation for them 



Fig. 53. — Two Asters, 



to swarm when there is nothing in the hive from which 

 a queen can be reared, but I have had it happen. The 

 operation of putting down is very simple. I lift the hive 

 off the top, place it on the ground, remove the supers, 

 take the hive off the stand, place it on one side, put the 



