GENERAL MAXIMS. 447 



XI. 



A swarm never to be put in an old hive. 



XII. 



A hive that has thrown off one swarm will generally 

 throw off a second, and a third ; the latter always to be 

 returned to the parent hive. 



XIII. 



The greater the number of swarms, the less is the quan- 

 tity of honey, 



XIV. 



The hives which throw off three swarms generally perish 

 in the winter, unless the swarms be returned to them. 



Swarms do not thrive well in very large hives ; the larger 



the hive, the greater the quantity of wax, and less the 



quantity of honey. 



xvi. 



Several swarms united in one hive will furnish a greater 

 supply of honey than if allowed to remain separate. 



The first occupation of a swarm is to construct the combs, 

 and scarcely twenty cells are made before the queen begins 

 to lay her eggs. All the combs are generally placed in a 

 direction perpendicular to the entrance of the hive. The 

 interval between each comb is about three lines. 



xvi n. 



There are only three substances in a hive. 1st, Honey, 

 which is collected from the flowers. 2nd, Wax, formed by 

 an elaboration of the farina of plants. 3rd, Bee-bread, which 

 is the crude farina of plants not yet elaborated. 

 u 4 



