THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
157 
first or a clean metal pail. A cloth, or sheet, 
must then be spread on the ground, over the 
front of the floor-board, and on this place the 
frame-hive, raising the front off its floor-board 
by means of a stone or wedge. As soon as the 
bees are hived in the sleep, with a smart jerk 
throw them on the sheet in front of the frame- 
hive, which they will speedily enter. Where a 
metal pail is used it will only become necessary 
to pour them out gently on the sheet in front of 
the hive. 
The hive must then be placed on the stand 
which it is intended to occupy. This rule 
should be invariably adhered to, and when space 
admits of it hives should be placed six feet 
apart, and in any case they should not be 
nearer together than three feet. 
If bees chose awkward places for settling, our 
ingenuity may be tried. Sometimes it is best 
to use a goosewing to brush them into the sleep, 
while often we may secure them by fixing the 
hive over them and driving them towards it by 
smoke. We shall find here, generally, as in 
many other things, that persuasion is better 
than force, and a little piece of honey-comb, 
or better still, comb containing honey and 
brood, skewered into the skep, will make it so 
attractive that they will find their way into it. 
Do not in any case wash the hive with any- 
thing : sugar, beer, treacle, are all alike — worse 
than useless. 
Always remember that bees at swarming-time 
are excited and heated ; if, therefore, the re- 
ceiving-hive must be left in the sun, it should 
be shaded by an umbrella, or have a wet towel 
put over it. 
if a swarm has settled, and no one is at hand 
capable of hiving it, careful shading, or an arti- 
ficial shower of rain from a very fine rose 
watering-pot, will usually induce the bees to 
remain until the operation can be performed. 
If bees are to be taken to a distance to be put 
into the permanent hive, it should be done as 
soon as possible, the swarm being secured in the 
skep by a cheese-cloth, 
VI.— ArTEE-SwABMS OB CASTS. 
From what has already been sail l (last c I , apterji 
it will be seen that the swarm goes off usually 
about tlie time the queen-grubs are being sealed 
over. Eight days after this the most advanced 
of these hatches out, and her first impulse is to 
destroy all the other queens yet in their cells. 
In this she is assisted by the workers, unless 
they have determined to send out a second 
swarm, or cast. Then, instead of the unhatched 
with as many bees as choose to follow. Often 
two. and sometimes as many as seven or eight 
queens, which have left their cells about the 
same time, will go with one cast of bees. If 
these be hived, however, all the queens will be 
destroyed save one. 
Casts should not be encouraged, as through 
them the old stock may be so weakened as to 
become useless ; and the casts themselves, unless 
fed, are seldom strong enough to be profitable, 
although, if they winter safely, as their queen 
is young, they do well in the following spring. 
Casts may be prevented by cutting out all 
queen cells, save one, after the swarm leaves. 
If this is done, much care must be exercised, as 
empty queen-cells occasionally have their lids 
closed, so as to appear to contain unhatched 
queens, while now and then they fail to hatch 
at all. Only hives with moveable combs admit 
of such an examination as to make this method 
of preventing casting certain or easy to attempt. 
VII. — Deiving. 
Driving is the art of compelling bees to leave 
their hive at the will of their master ; and this 
operation is often necessary with box hives, 
both to make artificial swarms and to clear the 
full honey-combs of bees when we wish to take 
the honey. A box of about the same size across 
as the one to be driven , and some sort of table 
on which to work, will he all that is necessary. 
The hive to be driven should be removed from 
its stand to some quiet spot, and an empty box 
put in its place. Blow into the hive a little 
smoke, which will send most of the bees to their 
honey to fill themselves ; and if, before giving 
a second puff, we rap the hive three or four 
times, it will add to their fright and make the 
operation all the easier. Immediately after the 
second puff, lift the hive, and turning it upside 
down, place it upon the table, putting the 
empty hive over it, and bringing the edges of 
them together at the point towards which the 
combs run. The box can be either-propped up so 
as to see the bees running up, or kept close, the 
former is to be preferred. The bees being both 
frightened and filled with honey, are disinclined 
to sting. Stand with your back towards the 
strongest light and keep the opening between 
the boxes before you, so that you may easily see 
all that passes. Without delay, commence rap- 
ping on the side of the inverted box, the open 
hands being better than sticks for this purpose. 
The blows must be smart enough to jar the 
combs, but not suificently heavy to risk breaking 
them from their attachments, anti they must be 
continuous (if they cease the bees will again de- 
scend among the combs), and may follow one 
another at the rate steps are made in moderate 
walking. 
Daylight, the overturning of the hive, and the 
incessant agitation of the whole, put the bees 
into great commotion. After a f^w raps, some 
of them will appear inclined to proceed into the 
hive above. A strong, hissing buzz will generally, 
within a minute or two, announce that a start is 
about to made, and now tlie crowd will run up. 
Sharp watch, while the beating is continued, 
should be kept for the queen, and after some 
experience she would rarely pass without being 
noticed. 
The most effective side to administer the 
blows is that towards which you wish the bees 
to advance ; but it is not advisable to apply the 
rapping too near the rim, as this tends to shake 
the bees dowu again after they have clambered 
