bee-kekper's manual. 131 



to the size of the swarm ; rather than place small swarms 

 in ordinary hives, and allow the bees to remain therein 

 until they are filled by the natural increase of the family. 



This is a great error ; but, say they who defend this 

 principle : — " A large family requires a large house, and 

 a small family, a small house." This is true of people, 

 but it has no bearing at all on the room suitable for a 

 swarm of bees, if future prosperity and gain are to be 

 taken into the account. 



L|t us take a rational view of this question. So far 

 asHR mere comfort and convenience of the swarm is 

 concerned, during the first season, I admit that hives 

 of such size as the bees can just fill with combs, during 

 the first summer of their existence are best; but we 

 must look beyond the first year, if we expect the greatest 

 prosperity that is attainable. 



In the first place, we must entirely discard the idea, 

 Rhat if a swarm be very large or very small, at the time 

 of issuing from the hive, its existence and prosperity in 

 succeeding years is thereby eifected. I say its existence 

 in succeeding years ; but I mean the existence of suc- 

 ceeding generations of the same original family; because, 

 no swarm of bees ever lived through two seasons. 



In order , to more fully illustrate ;this point, we will 

 suppose that A has a very large . swarm issue from 

 one of his hives, say about double the usual numbers ; 

 and B has a very small swarm also issue, about half the 

 usual size. A obtains a hive of double the usual size, 

 for his swarm, and B looks about for a very small hive 

 for hfs swarm, to suit the bulk of it. 



