230 NATURAL SWARMING. 



many bee-keepers are possessors of as many colonies as 

 they desire to keep. Most Apiarists, especially farmers, 

 keep bees only for the honey, and as it is impossible to 

 produce both an increase of stock, and a large yield of 

 honey in average seasons, they prefer the production of 

 honey to that of swarms. 



2nd, Another objection to natural swarming arises from 

 the disheartening fact, that bees are liable to swarm so 

 often, as to destroy the value of both the parent-stock, 

 and its after-swarms. Experienced bee-keepers obviate 

 this difficulty, by making one good colony out of two second 

 swarms, and returning to the parent-stock all swarms after 

 the second, and even this if the season is far advanced. 

 Such operations often consume more time than they are 

 worth. 



3d, The bees may be located in a town, near a pub- 

 lic thoroughfare where people pass constantly, and acci- 

 dents may take place ; or perhaps near the woods where 

 the swarm would cluster on such high limbs that it would 

 be difficult or impossible to hive them. 



4th. It is very troublesome to have to watch the bees for 

 weeks, or to have them swarm at unexpected or unwelcome 

 times, when the family is away, or at dinner, or while the 

 owner is engaged with his business, for many bee-keepers 

 are also lawyers, doctors or merchants, occupied in daily 

 labors, which require a definite part of their time. The far- 

 mer may be interrupted in the business of hay-making, by 

 the cry that his bees are swarming ; and by the time he has 

 hived them, perhaps a shower comes up, and his hay is in- 

 jured more than the swarm is worth. Ihus the keeping of 

 a few bees, instead of being a source of profit, may prove 

 an expensive luxury ; while in a large Apiary, the embar- 

 rassments are often seriously increased. If, after a succes- 

 sion of days unfavorable for swarming, the weather becomes 

 pleasant, it often happens that several swarms rise at once, 



