Of the Swarming and Hiving of Bees. 109 
The old ‘ftocks alfo fending forth fuch multitudes 
(fwarming moft of them twice, and many of them three 
times) they were greatly reduced in ftrength and in 
ftore. Many about the country are already dead, both 
old and young; and no doubt but many more will yet 
die. / 
Neither do the earlieft {warms always prove the beft, 
or profper moft, as early as the latter end of April, or 
the beginning of May. ‘The weather often afterwards 
is very wet and cold, fhuts them in, and prevents fo long 
their labours, that I have frequently known even thefe, 
either totally deftroyed, or exceedingly reduced. 
But fwarms at the latter end of A/ay, or beginning of 
Fuly, thall profper, and anfwer the owners expectation. 
_ Three years agol had a fwarm upon Mid/ummer-day, 
which laid in a fuficient ftore of provifion for their fup- 
port, till the fpring following, and they fwarmed that 
fummer, either the laft day in AZay, or the firlt of Fune, 
and every fummer fince. 
And it is more than 20 years fince I had a fwarm the 
beginning of July, which ftood thro’ the enfuing winter 
and profpered well. 
When you obferve your hives well replenifhed with 
Bees, and begin to lie forth about the hive’s mouth in the 
day-time, and go in at night, and alfo the Drones appear, 
you may expect fwarms, efpecially if the weather be 
clear, calm, and warm; for in a cloudy, wet, and ftormy 
feafon, the firft fwarms feldom or never rife, tho’ the 
cafts, or fecond fwarms, often rife in indifferent weather. 
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