206 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



■which, under other circumstances, they would have stored 

 up, a part for their own use in the main hive, and the balance 

 for their owner in the spare honey-boxes. 



To make this matter perfectly plain, let us suppose a 

 colony to swarm. If the new hive, into which the swarm is 

 put, holds, as it ought, about a bushel, it will require nearly 

 two pounds of wax to fill it with comb, and forty pounds 

 of honey will often be used in its manufacture ! If the 

 season is favorable, and the swarm was large and early, they 

 may gather, not only enough to build this comb, and to store it 

 with honey sufficient for their own use, but a number of pounds 

 in addition, for the benefit of their owner. If the old stock 

 does not swarm again, it will rapidly replenish its numbers, 

 and as it has no new comb to build in the main hive, which 

 already contains much honey, it will be able to store up a 

 generous allowance in the upper boxes. These favorable re- 

 sults are all on the supposition that the season was ordinarily 

 productive in honey, and that the hive was so powerful in num- 

 bers as to be able to swarm seasonably. If the season should 

 prove to be unfavorable, the first swarm cannot be expected 

 to gather more than enough for its own use, while the parent 

 stock will yield only a small return. The profits of the 

 bee-keeper, in such an unfortunate season, will be mainly in 

 the increase of his stocks. If the swarm was late, in conse- 

 quence of the stock being weak in Spring, the early part of 

 the honey-harvest will pass away, and the bees will be 

 able to obtain from it, but a small share of honey. During 

 all this time of comparative inactivity, the orchards may 

 present 



"One boundless blush, one white empurpled shower 

 Of mingled blossoms," , 



and tens of thousands of bees from stronger stocks, may be 

 engaged all day in sipping the fragrant sweets, so that every 



