ARTIFICIAL 8WABMING. 179 



A certain rather than a rapid multiplication of stocks, 

 IS most needed. A single colony, doubling every year, 

 would in ten years increase to 1,024 stocks, and in twenty 

 yeai's to over a million ! At this rate, our whole country 

 alight, in a few yeai's, be stocked with bees ; an increase 

 of one-third, annually, would soon give us enough. This 

 latter rate of increase should be encouraged, even if, in the 

 Fall, the stocks are reduced (see Union of Stocks), to the 

 Spiing number ; as, in the long run, it will both keep the 

 colonies in the most prosperous condition, and secure the 

 largest yield of honey. 



I have never myself besitated to sacrifice several colo- 

 nies, in order to ascertain a single fact ; and it would 

 require a large volume, to detail my various experiments 

 on the single subject of artificial swarming. The practical 

 bee-keeper, however, should never lose sight of the im- 

 portant distinction between an Apiary managed princi- 

 pally for purposes of observation and discovery, and one 

 conducted exclusively with reference to pecuniary profit.* 

 Any bee-keeper can easily experiment wdth my hives ; 

 but he should do it, at first, only on a small scale, and if 

 pecuniary profit is his object, should follow my directions, 

 until he is sure that he has discovered others which are- 

 better. These cautions are given to prevent serious losses 

 in using hives which, by facilitating aR manner of experi- 

 ments, may. tempt the inexperienced into rash and un- 

 profitable courses. Beginners, especially, should follow my 

 directions as closely as possible ; for, although they may 

 doubtless be modified and improve;^, it can only be done 

 by those experienced in managing bees. 



Let me not be understood as wishing to intimate that 

 perfection has been so nearly attained, that no more 



* Prof. Siebold sajB, that Berlepsoli told him, that some of hia Mves " had been 

 very much prejudiced by the various scientific experiments." 



