24 
NATURAL SWARMING. 
hived, let him quickly cover it with a sheet to prevent a union, and 
give his attention to the new comers. These must now be hived , 
and when mostly in, if no others have started, uncover the first, 
that the stragglers flying may be divided between the two. But, 
should the second swarm start before the first has settled, he will 
hardly prevent their clustering together. After a swarm has 
started it is impossible to check it, without closing the entrance, 
which would be a dangerous and often fatal experiment. Beside, 
i he queen may have been among the first to start, and she would 
be a serious loss. 
When two swarms unite, if the bee-keeper’s time is precious 
and his hive large enough, he may hive them together. When 
put in the movable comb hive, give such double swarms access 
to the surplus boxes immediately. They will usually store about 
one-third more surplus honey than a single swarm, but they will 
be worth no more at the end of the season, than each would have 
been had they remained separate. TIence, if the swarms are 
early and large, and the weather continues favorable, it is better 
to divide the swarm at the end of a week. (See “Nucleus 
Swarming.”) However, if a movable-comb hive is not at hand, 
it will pay to take some trouble 
TO SEPARATE SWARMS THAT CLUSTER TOGETHER. 
In separating two swarms that have clustered together, the 
object, is to get a queen for each. To do this, spread down a 
sheet, placing an empty hive upon each end. Shake your bees 
upon the sheet between the hives and sprinkle them with a little 
water, which will retard their movements and give a good chanco 
