bke-keeper's manual. 135 



through the winter, and then you will have a stock that 

 will be worth something. 



CHANGE FROM BARGE TO SMALL HIVES DECEPTIVE 



APPEARANCES OF SWARMS, ETC. 



When a bee-keeper is accustomed to use very large 

 hives, or the hollow trunks of trees, called gums in some 

 parts of the country, and in Virginia, in particular, the 

 swarms are sometimes somewhat larger than those issu- 

 ing f^m the proper-sized hives ; but, as I before stated, 

 if they pass certain dimensions in their hives, they sel- 

 dom get any swarms at all ; and when such large 

 swarms do issue, if the weather be very warm, the bees 

 extend so much, in order to allow the air ,to circulate 

 among them, when in a cluster, that it is thought impos- 

 sible to hive them in boxes 12 inches square. I have 

 been written to on this subject, from various parts of the 

 country, by those who have made use of hives that I 

 have recommended, and the complaint was, that their 

 swarms were so large that hives of my size could not 

 afford the bees room ; and in some instances, the bees 

 deserted them. To persons thus circumstanced, I 

 answer, that appearances are very deceptive sometimes 

 in hiving a swarm of bees. A moderate-sized swarm, 

 in a very warm day, appears much larger than it would 

 on a cool day ; and when a swarm enters a hive during 

 very warm weather the bees find the atmosphere within 

 insupportable, and a large portion of them are compelled 

 to cluster on the outside of the hive, until the combs are 

 so far advanced as to protect the interior of the hive to 



