166 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



rians, that I have not spoken boastfully or at randona, in as- 

 serting that natural swarming can be carried on with much 

 greater certainty and success, by the use of my hives, than 

 in any other way ; and that they will see that many of the 

 most perplexing embarrassments and mortifying discourage- 

 ments under which they have hitherto prosecuted it, may be 

 effectually remedied. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Artificial Swarming. 



The numerous efforts which have been made for the last 

 fifty years or more, to dispense with natural swarming, 

 plainly indicate the anxiety of Apiarians to find some better 

 mode of increasing their colonies. 



Although I am able to propagate bees by natural swarm- 

 ing, with a rapidity and certainty unattainable except by the 

 complete control of all the combs in the hive, still there are 

 difficulties in this mode of increase, inherent to the system 

 itself, and therefore entirely incapable of being removed by 

 any kind of hive. Before describing the various methods 

 which I employ to increase colonies by artificial means, I 

 shall first enumerate these difficulties, in order that each 

 individual bee-keeper may decide for himself, in which way 

 he can most advantageously propagate his bees. 



1. The large number of swarms lost every year, is a 

 powerful argument against natural swarming. 



An eminent Apiarian has estimated that one-fourth of the 

 best swarms are lost every season ! This estimate can 



