146 THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
half moon or {quare, that the Bees may the better know 
their own home. ‘Such diverfity will be a direction. 
_ Thus your Bees are kept warm in the coldeft winter, 
and in the hotteft fummer greatly refrefhed by the cool 
air, the back-doors being fet open without -ait-holes 
made in the boxes. 
How to furnifh the Colonies with Inhabitants. 
AN Houfe thus fitted up, the next thing is to furnifh 
it with inhabitants. The beft time to plant your new 
colonies, is either the fpring (AZarch or April) or in 
fummer (May or June) according as you determine to 
‘begin with a ftock of Bees, or with fwarms. 
If the firft, let it be a new {tock (a laft year’s. Gioacsis} 
rich in honey, and full of Bees. . No: other are fit for, a 
colony. Poor and weak ftocks will but difappoint you. — 
But if you chufe the latter (which I fhould rather re- 
commend). Procure two fwarms, if poffible, the fame 
day, and put them together into two boxes, or an hive 
with a box, and at night place them in your houfe, and. 
with a knife, and a little lime and hair, ftop clofe the 
mouth of the hive, or upper box, that a Bee may not be 
able to go in or out, but at the front door, which is to 
be their only and their conftant paflage. 
If you occupy none but boxes, you will in a week or 
ten days time, with pleafure, fee the combs appear, and 
filling with honey ; but if it be an hive you will fee no- 
thing till they have wrought down into the box. 
I never employed an hive in this method but once, 
which proved fo difagreeable, and fo difficult to remove, 
that I have_ever fince ufed boxes only, Never 
