bee-keeper's manual. 265 



and since it is reasonable to suppose, that the bees will 

 like it, I continue in the practice. Various other things 

 are recommended to dress hives with, but I pay no at- 

 tention to them, since I never lost a swarm on my plan, 

 and I could not have done better if I had pursued other 

 people's plans. The great object is to have clean, sweet 

 hives. Dressing them with the leaves of certain trees, 

 or of herbs, is entirely useless. If the swarm be clus- 

 tered within six or eight feet from the ground, which is 

 generally the case, where many low trees and shrubs 

 exist, I place my table under them and spread a blanket 

 over it. I then place my hive in such position, that the 

 bees may be made to fall directly before it, and within 

 a few inches of it. I then raise the front of the hive 

 with' a block of wood, as you perceive, so as to give the 

 greatest facility for the bees to enter rapidly. Having 

 done this, and being protected by my bee-dress, I take a 

 chair to stand on, and with a brush, such as this, I am 

 prepared for the operation. I will now show you how 

 I do it. With one hand hold of the branch, and the 

 brush in the other, I give a sudden jar to the limb, and 

 down they fall before the hive ; and the small portion 

 that adhere to the branch after jarring it, I brush off, aiid 

 all that take wing again, follow their companions below. 

 ' There, they are all on the table now, except a few hun- 

 dred, that will soon settle with them in front of the 

 hive." 



"That was done very dextrously. Now they are 

 running into the hive, I perceive, except on this side, 

 12 



