192 



THE HONEY-BEE. 



drummed out of house and home may be united to 

 form a strong colony. If supplied with frames of 

 comb, or "foundation," and fed with syrup (made 

 with 2\ lbs. of sugar to each pint of water, with a 

 dessert-spoonful of vinegar boiled up with it, to 

 prevent crystallisation), they may be brought safely 

 through the winter, and become, by the spring-time, 

 well worth the expense and trouble they have cost. 



Fig. 63. — Swarming Board. 



With bar-frame hives the making of artificial 

 swarms becomes an easy matter, and more than one 

 plan may be adopted. In the first place, suppose it 

 is desired to transfer into a skep a swarm from a 

 wooden hive, for sending to a distance. The pre- 

 liminary operations are as follows : Towards evening, 

 remove the stock a few yards from its stand, and 

 have ready the skep on a wide board, and propped 

 up two or three inches in front. Next puff smoke 

 into the midst of the bees, to quiet them, and to 



