VARIOUS METHODS. 245 



ing stocks with maturing brood ; the latter having — in the 

 ex|u'ossivo language of an okl writer — " waxed over fat." 



We have had stocks which, after [)arting with four swarms 

 in the way aliove described, have stored their hives with Fall 

 honey, besides yielding a surplus in boxes. 



This nu'lhod of artilicial increase, whicli resembles natural 

 swarming, in not taking away the combs of the mother-stock, 

 is not only superior to it, in leaving a fertile queen, but ob- 

 viates almost entirely all risk of after-swarming ; for the 

 forced swarm, containing the old queen, seldom attempts to 

 send fortli a new Colony, and the parent hive, in which the 

 young queen is placed, is too destitute of field-workers to 

 swarm soon. The young queen herself is equally content — 

 except in very warm climates, or in extraordinary seasons 

 — to stay where she is put. Even if the old queen is al- 

 lowed to remain in the mother-stock, she will seldom leave, 

 if sufficient room is given for storing surplus honey ; and it 

 makes no difference — as far as liability of swarming is con- 

 cerned — where the young one is put. 



4:78. Artificial increase may be also made, by simply 

 giving several frames of hatching bees to a nucleus (520) 

 containing a fertile queen, and placing the colony thus built 

 up on the stand of a strong hive, removing the latter to a 

 new location. 



If, from some cause, the parent-colony could not be 

 moved, the forced swarm might be made to adhere to a new 

 location as follows : Secure their queen, when the bees are 

 shaken out of the hive ; and when they show that they miss 

 her, confine them to their hive, until their agitation has 

 reached its height. Then open the hive, and as the bees 

 begin to take wing, present their queen to them. When 

 the}' have clustered around her, they may he treated like a 

 natural swarm. To do this with every forced swarm would 

 take too much time ; but it would answer well when the 

 forced swarm is to be moved, a short distance, 



