158 Domerstic ANIMALS. 
day the most favorable time for doing this; others again prefer 
the evening—but either will answer, and tHe trouble attending 
is not greater than that of hiving them when the swarms are 
allowed to come out in the common manner, and the danger of 
having them go off is avoided. Another very great advantage 
of this method is, the young swarms commence working early, 
by which they are more likely to lay up sufficient food for the 
winter.” 
2, Robbing the Hives.—The old practice, still followed by 
many, is to kill the bees by suffocation, whenever the most 
favorable time has arrived for taking the honey. To suffocate 
the bees, the hive is inverted over an empty hive or a hole in 
the ground in which some rags smeared with sulphur are burn- 
ing. The bees drop down and are buried to prevent resuscita~ 
tion. This is believed by some shrewd and experienced bee- 
keepers to be the most profitable if not the most humane plan. 
Polish apiarists cut out the comb annually to lessen the 
tendency to swarming, and thus obtain the largest amount of 
honey. In sectional hives it is readily taken out without killing 
the bees; and where these improved hives, as they are called, 
are not used, the comb may be cut out by merely stupefying 
. the bees with sulphur or tobacco smoke. The time for taking 
up hives depends somewhat upon the season and pasturage; 
but the quantity of honey does not generally increase after the 
first of September. 
8. Wintering.—To winter safely a swarm of bees, thirty 
pounds of honey are considered requisite. Only strong swarms 
are profitable to winter; therefore those that are found in the 
fall to be weak in numbers and with little honey had better be 
taken up. In the northern portions of the United States means 
are generally used to protect the swarms in winter, by removal 
to some cool and dry out-house or cellar; but many apiarists 
contend that this practice is not only useless but-hurtful, and 
that hives should not be removed from their usual situations, 
4, Feeding.—Bees are sometimes fed, when not able to sup- 
ply their own wants, with a syrup made by dissolving browy 
