228 
GENERAL HONEY HARVEST. 
a loud humming noise expressive of their trepidation. 
The hives are then separated) — that containing the 
bees is placed on its usual pedestal, — and the other 
containing the honey is carried off. The union is 
next to he effected. Turn up tho stock-hive which 
is to receive the addition to its population, — with a 
hunch of feathers, or a small watering-pan, such as 
is used for watering flower-beds, drench them with 
a solution of ale and sugar, or water and sugar, made 
a little warm. Do the same to the expelled bees ; 
and then placing these last over the stock, mouth to 
mouth, a smart rap on the top of the hive will drive 
them down among the bees and combs of the under- 
most hive. Place this last on its pedestal, and the 
operation is completed. The strong flavour of the 
solution will prevent them from distinguishing be- 
tween friend and stranger ; and their first movement, 
after recovering from their panic, will ho to lick the 
liquid from one another’s bodies. This mode of 
operating is applicable to all kinds of hives. It will 
be an advantage, though attended with a little addi- 
tional trouble, to search for, and destroy the queen 
of the expelled bees, before the union takes place. 
Two queens cannot subsist together in one hive. 
When two hives are united, therefore, what becomes 
of the supernumerary queen ? She is put to death 
by the bees generally within twenty-four hours from 
the time of the union. But as the bees are the 
executioners, it is within the hounds of possibility 
that both queens may fall a sacrifice. The followers 
of one queen may seize upon her rival, and destroy 
