136 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
If the swarm we have just hived is to be taken 
any considerable distance, it may be packed so soon 
as the bees have collected within, or be left till 
evening. A piece of coarse canvas, known as 
scrum,” should be spread out smoothly on the 
ground. The hive, now lifted cautiously, and kept 
quite upright, so as not to break the cluster of bees 
hanging from the roof — much in form like a swallow’s 
nest under the house eaves — is placed upon the 
canvas, which is drawn up round its sides, and tied 
with string. The skep is now inverted, and may be 
carried with safety, both to porter and bees, to its 
destination, or conveyed by cart or rail, the essential 
point being that the canvas is kept upwards. It is 
well here to mention, parenthetically, that a swarm 
confined as described in a skep, is exceedingly 
likely to perish if the canvas be beneath, even if 
the skep be held high in air; for, if the cluster be 
broken, the mass of bees lying upon and pressed 
against the canvas stops ventilation so completely 
that the upper individuals get asphyxiated before 
they can crawl up the sides, so as to relieve their 
companions, which are held down by their weight. 
The skep, upon its arrival, should be placed on a 
bottom 'board, and slightly raised by a stone inserted 
beneath its front edge. The string is now untied, 
and the canvas released from the mouth, but not 
removed until the bees have had time to get clear 
of it by clustering above. Where bees have to 
travel, the preferable plan is to first place them in 
a swarm-box (see “ Artificial Swarming ”). 
It was previously stated (page 128) that, if a 
