CHAPTER XI 



THE MYSTERY OF THE SWARM 



THE old "swarm in May," beloved of ancient 

 beemen, is rapidly becoming a thing of the 

 past. Modern hives and modern methods, 

 although they have not as yet achieved their main 

 intent of abolishing natural swarming altogether, 

 yet tend to bring this extraordinary ebullition of 

 hive-life to its fulfilment later and later in each 

 year. Far from being a virtue, as of old, an 

 early swarm, or indeed any swarm at all, is now 

 accounted a misfortune, even a downright dis- 

 grace, in scientific beemanship. And yet the bees, 

 though easy to discourage, are hard to teach. In 

 spite of roomy hives and a watchful bee-master 

 ready to give them an unbroken succession of 

 young and fertile queens, and a whole houseful 

 of new furniture at a moment's notice, still the 

 bees go on playing this mad game of wholesale 

 truantry, and still the bee-keeper must stand look- 

 ing hopelessly on from the midst of his elaborate 

 appliances, while his property sings about his ears, 



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