ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 231 



below is full, they may all be safely removed. If none of 

 the upper combs are removed, they will be filled with honey, 

 as soon as the brood is hatched ; and as they will contain 

 large stores of bee-bread, they will answer admirably for 

 replenishing stocks which have an insufficient supply. 



If two swarms are hived together, or a very powerful 

 stock is lodged in a hive, and immediate access given them 

 to the upper apartment, an extraordinary quantity of honey, 

 of excellent quality, can be secured. As soon as the bees 

 have raised one generation of young, in the combs of the 

 upper box, or rather in a part of them, they will use it chiefly 

 for storing honey, and its contents may be taken from them. 

 In flavor, it will be found to be nearly as good as honey 

 stored in what is called " virgin comb." There is always 

 some risk, however, in making a very large colony, that they 

 will build an excess of drone comb, if the season is very 

 propitious for gathering honey. 



In the Chapter on the Requisites of a good hive, it was 

 said that in size it should be adapted to the natural instincts 

 of the bee, and yet admit of being enlarged or contracted, 

 according to the wants of the colony placed in it. I never 

 use a hive, the main apartment of which, holds less than a 

 bushel. If small colonies are placed in such a hive, it may 

 be temporarily partitioned off", to suit the size of its inmates ; 

 for if bees have too much room, they cannot so well con- 

 centrate their animal heat, and are so much discouraged that 

 ihey often abandon the hive. I am aware that many judi- 

 cious Apiarians recommend hives of much smaller dimen- 

 sions, and I shall now give my reasons for using one so 

 large. If a hive is too small, then in the Spring, the combs 

 are soon filled with honey, bee-bread, and brood, and the 

 surprising fertility of the queen bee can be turned to no 

 efficient account. If the honey-harvest in any year is de- 



