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THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
box, and those flying' about the place on 
which the swarm clustered will soon join 
those in the box,andinthe evening the hive can 
be carefully moved to its permanent place. If 
the swarm settles on the ground, or close to it, 
the box can be either placed over them and 
propped up by pieces of wood or stone, when 
they will soon take possession and crawl up 
into the box. If they are spread about, a 
little sprinkling from the watering pot or 
garden syringe will soon make them gather 
closer together, and a little artificial shower 
of this kind generally hastens their “ run for 
shelter.” Sometimes a swarm will be partly 
on a low bush and partly on the ground, in 
which case lay down your sheet close up to 
arid as much under the swarm as possible ; 
place your box or hive on the cloth with one 
side propped up, and as close to the cluster as 
you can, and shake as many as possible on to the 
cloth in front of the propped-up hive; as a rule 
they will quickly make for the box and settle in 
it. It must be a rule never to leave swarms long 
exposed to the hot rays of the sun, and even 
when they have settled in the hive it should 
be shaded by boards or something of the kind, 
till it is moved in the evening. If the swarm 
has settled on a fence, trunk of a tree, or a 
wall, or under a verandah, or roof of a building, 
as they sometimes will, they must be brushed 
off into the box or hive, with a goose wing or 
brush. Do this gently and not too hurriedly, 
and avoid any quick movements ; when hived, 
the box may be placed on the calico sheet 
close at hand as before. 
Sometimes they will settle high up in a tree, 
in which case a ladder will probably be 
required, and it may be even necessary to 
quietly saw oft' a branch on which a swarm 
settles, so it may be lowered down for hiving. 
A little thought and ingenuity will generally 
enable beginner to secure a swarm from almost 
any position it may have selected, if he keeps 
in view the precautions already referred to. 
As a rule, hive swarms as quickly after set- 
tlingaspossible,and shade them from the sun — 
if they are taken in the hive they are to remain 
in, they can be moved to their permanent posi- 
tion, as soon as they are all quietly settled, or 
left till the evening before doing so; if, how- 
ever, they are taken in a box or basket, to be 
afterwards put into their hive, immediately 
they have fairly settled in the box or basket 
take them to their new hive, which must be 
propped up, and the calico sheet placed so that 
when shaken out of the swarm box they can 
easily find and run into their permanent home. 
Swarms will sometimes rise again if everything 
is not to their liking, or if they are much dis- 
turbed ; it is a golden rule, therefore, in taking 
and hiving swarms, to disturb them as little as 
possible after they have once settled down, and 
never attempt to move them from one box to 
another after they have been quiet for an hour 
or two, or they will very probably abscond 
from so unskilled a master. 
HONEY AS AN ARTICLE OF FOOD. 
By Thomas Newman. 
Flint speaks of Rumilius Polio, who possessed 
marvellous health and strength, at over 100 
years of age. Upon being presented to the 
Emperor Augustus, who inquired the secret of 
his liveliness of spirits and strength of body at 
so great an age, he answered: “ Interns 
melle; exterus oleo” — Internally through 
honey ; externally through oil. 
Among all the myriads of insects, there 
certainly is none, the product of whose industry 
is more pleasant and tempting to the palate, 
more nutritious and health-giving to the body, 
or more valuable as an article of commerce, ' 
than the product of the bee — delicious and 
immaculately pure honey. How astonishingly 
appropriate is even its name — Honey! 
1 iemvd from the Hebrew word ffhaney, 
literally it means “ Delight.” Humanity may, 
therefore, delight itself with honev,aslong as 
the sun endureth ! Its early history shows 
that it was for ages man’s principal source 
of nourishment ; and, wherever civilisation 
extended its way, the ‘ little busy bee '* was 
carried as its companion and co-worker in the 
cause of elevation and refinement. Why, then, 
did honey lose its honoured place as an article 
of food ? The introduction of sugar gave it 
its first blow ; its use became general in the 
seventeenth century, and as its use increased, 
the use of honey decreased, until at length the 
bee masters’ guild was established, and the skill 
and experience of the old bee masters were lost. 
The introduction of the vile compounds 
known as “ Table Syrup,” with their impuri- 
ties and adulterations, has had the effect of 
opening the eyes of consumers, and of 
re-opening for honey its God-given place 
as an article of food. Instead of dealing 
disease and death promiscuously to those 
who indulge in its use, as do these syrups, 
honey gives mankind, in the most agreeable 
manner, both food and medicine. It is a 
common expression that honey is a luxury, 
having nothing to do with the life-giving 
principle. This is an error ; honey is food in 
one of its most concentrated forms. True, it 
does not add so much to the growth of muscle 
as does beef steak, but it does impart other 
properties, no less necessary to health and 
vigorous and intellectual action I It gives 
warmth to the system, arouses nervous energy, 
and gives vigour to all the vital functions. To 
the labourer, it gives strength ; to the business 
man, mental force. Its effects are not like 
