158 
THE farmer’s manual. 
spring, 1814, this hive will be 21 months old; nine 
months as a simple hive, and twelve with one story. 
It commences, on the2l<;t of March, 1814, its pyrami- 
dal form, at the age of 21 months. These three hives 
are plastered with mortar, or clay, at their junction, by 
which they appear to form but one distinct hive, and 
the Bees can only enter and depart at one open- 
ing in the lower story. By means of holes bored 
in the top of the lower stories, the Bees can pass 
from’ one story to the other freely. This colony will 
exist in the state of a two storied hive from the 21st 
of March to the 21st of September of the same year; 
it will then be 27 months old. Several swarms will 
have been obtained through all the different stages, 
from the single one, to the pyramidal one. The 
swarms of the latter are considerable ; especially 
those of the second and subsequent years. They 
generally weigh from twelve to twenty pounds. On 
the 21st of September, as soon as the drones have 
been destroyed by the Bees, you may remove the 
first story of the colony ; it will be found full of wax 
and honey, without Bees and brood ; the honey will 
be of the present year, as the Bees will have consum- 
ed that of the preceding years. When, on the 21st 
of September, the first story is removed, the hive 
will cease to be pyramidal, and will return to its for- 
mer state of two stories ; in this state it will pass the 
6 months of autumn and winter, but on the return of 
March, another story must be given to it, and it again 
becomes a pyramidal hive. The Bees of a pyramidal 
hive never perish with hunger, nor cold. It is too 
rich to want provisions, and too numerous to be ef- 
fected by the severity of winter, and by their heat, 
they bring forward their spring brood one month 
earlier than a single hive. Such is the character 
given by Ducouedic of the storied hive. Let me re- 
mark that their swarming one month earlier in spring 
than the single hive, is no small advantage in the es- 
