186 



THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



colonies, C, B, E, &c., always remain undisturbed on the 

 stands where they are first put. 



Dzierzon has noticed the great number of bees which 

 may, at intervals, be removed from a stock-hive, if it only 

 retains a fertile queen, and sufficient adhering bees ; and 

 says that he has known as many bees to be lost, in a single 

 day, from a strong stock, by high winds* or^udden storms, 

 as would suffice to make a respectable swarm. 



This able Apiarian, who unites to the sagacity of Huber, 

 an immense amount of practical experience in managing 

 bees, has for years formed his artificial colonies chiefly 

 by removing the forced swarms to a distant Apiary. 

 Though this plan has some decided merits, .and might suit 

 two pei-Bons — sjifficiently far apart — who could agree to 

 manage their bees as a joint concem, the expense of 

 transporting the bees makes it objectionable to most bee- 

 keepers. From the beginning, my plans for artificial in- 

 crease were mainly with reference to a single Apiary ; and 

 it would seem, from the recent discussion in the Annual 

 Apiarian Convention (p. 20), that the German bee-keepers 

 are fast adopting the same method. 



By making holes on the inside of the bottom-board of 

 my hivesf — the glass ones excejjted — artificial swarming 

 may be practiced in a way approaching still nearer to 

 natural swarming than any yet described. About a week 

 or ten days before the artificial swarm is to be made, 

 put an empty hive C, on the top of a strong stock A — 

 making the entrance of to face in the opposite way 



* If forage is very abundant, bees are almost crazy to get it, however windy the 

 weather, and some Apiarians, on such days, confine them to their hives. 



t These holes are similar to those in the spare honey-board (PL VIII., Fig. 21), 

 and are closed in the same way, when not ia use. They pei-mit the bees to com- 

 municate where the hives are piled one on the top of the other \ and the upper 

 hive may be used as a place for the storage of surplus honey in small boxes, or 

 (PI. X., rig. 2!!^, in large or small frames. 



