ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 171 



respects, be propitious, refuse to swarm at all. Such colo- 

 nies, on examination, will often be found to have taken no 

 steps for raising young Queens. In some cases, the wings 

 of the old mother will be found defective, while in others, 

 she is abundantly able to fly, but seems to prefer the riches 

 of the old hive, to the risks attending the formation of a new 

 colony. It frequently happens, in our uncertain climate, 

 that when all the necessary preparations have been made 

 for swarming, the weather proves unpropitious for so long a 

 time, that the young Queens approaching maturity before the 

 old one can leave, are all destroyed. This is a very fre- 

 quent occurrence, and under such circumstances, swarming 

 is almost certain to be prevented, for that season. The 

 young Queens area frequently destroyed, even although the 

 weather is pleasant, in consequence of some sudden and 

 perhaps only temporary suspension of the honey harvest ; 

 for bees seldom colonize even if all their preparations are 

 completed, unless the flowers are yielding an abundant sup- 

 ply of honey. 



From these and other causes which my limits will not 

 permit me to notice, it has hitherto been found impossible, 

 in the uncertain climate of our Northern States, to multiply 

 colonies very rapidly, by natural swarming ; and bee-keep- 

 ing, on this plan, offers very poor inducements to those who 

 are aware how little has been accomplished, even by the 

 most enthusiastic, experienced and energetic Apiarians. 



The numerous perplexities which have ever attended nat- 

 ural swarming, have for ages, directed the attention of prac- 

 tical cultivators, to the importance of devising some more 

 reliable method of increasing their colonies. Columella, 

 who lived about the middle of the first century of the Chris- 

 tian Era, and who wrote twelve books on husbandry (De re 

 rustica,) has given directions for making artificial colonies. 



