192 
THE farmer’s manual. 
proprietors of Bees ; 1 would advise generally, that 
the hives be watched from the 4th to the I2th day af- 
ter they have cast their swarms, and if none appears 
by that time, it may be concluded th<fl'e will none ap- 
pear. A second swarm is' seldom worth preserving 
over the winter; the slock of honey which it collects, 
not being, generally, adequate to its support; but if 
two swarms, after the first, are thrown off, a junction 
should be effected between them without delay. This 
may be done by searching the hive of one of the 
swarms, and removing the queen, and then immersing 
the two swarms, so to be united, in pure water, or 
water saturated with ale, sugar and honey, and plac- 
ed in a tub for the purpose : when they are well mix- 
ed together by stirring, I then strain out the Bees, by 
passing the liquor through a sieve, ami return both 
swarms, so mixed, into one hive, and place it near the 
fire; they will soon begin to hum, and in one hour, 
will be restored to life again; no quarrel will ensue 
upon this method. All other methods of j^oining 
swarms, generally expose them to quarrels. Even in 
this method, it is absolutely necessary that one of the 
queens should be destroyed; or all will be quarrel. 
Whenever the weather is rainy the next day after 
hiving your Bees, it will become necessary to feed 
them at evening, particularly if it should continue 
rainy two or three days; continue feeding at evening, 
until the weather becomes fair, they will then visit 
the fields, and supply themselves. Whenever you 
have occasion to move the hive of the young swarm, 
either for feeding, or otherwise, let it be done very 
gently, or the young and tender combs will be injur- 
ed. It is always best to let them stand quiet for two 
months, they are then solid and finii, apd may be in- 
spected with safely. The purest honey, called vir- 
gin homy, is always found in the hives of the second 
swanns. I have noticed the clustering of the Bees 
without the hive, as one of the signs of swarming; 
this sometimes arises from a want of room in the 
