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cell and giving it extra food. At the period of swarming the oldest 
queen in the hive leads off the swarm and the younger queens that are 
still in the cells are not allowed to escape until the swarm is ready to 
depart on its quest for a new home, thus preventing a fatal contest 
between rival queens. When a queen has led a swarm from the nest 
she does not as a rule make a long flight and the swarm is generally 
found hanging to a branch of some tree or bush not far distant from its 
original home. 
The swarming takes place almost any time between April and 
September and the size of the swarm varies according to the strength 
of the hive. A strong swarm is generally about the size of a man’s 
head. When it is desired to collect a swarm the following method 
should be adopted. An empty basket or small wooden box should be 
placed over the swarm mouth downwards and the bees should be gently 
brushed into the receptacle by the hand or a small twig gently and up- 
wards. In this manner the queen bee will be quickly in the basket or 
box and the worker bees quickly follow of their own accord. Care should 
be taken to handle the insects as gently as possible and if this is done 
they remain in a perfectly good temper; but the slightest roughness or 
nervousness will rouse the bees at once. A hive should in the mean- 
time be prepared for their reception. A wooden kerosene oil case is a 
very suitable size and is easily converted into a hive by cutting a few 
small holes on one of the under edges to allow the bees to freely enter 
and leave. The floor of the hive should have a small platform project- 
ing to enable the laden bees to alight before crawding into the hive. A 
few air holes should be bored in the box and a sloping span roof of 
overlapping boards should be placed over the hive to exclude rain. 
A small door at one end of the hive will be found very useful. Square 
frames of £ inch wood should be made to fit into the hive to carry the 
combs. Not more than three frames should be put into a new hive to 
commence with. If possible a small piece of comb should be attached 
to the upper inside edge of the centre frame to act as a guide and on 
this foundation the bees will commence to build their comb. When 
the hive lias been thus prepared it is ready for the reception of the new 
swarm. In introducing the bees to the hive the same process should 
be gone through as used in collecting the bees from the tree or bush. 
When the bees have been in the hive for about two weeks the frames 
should be taken out and examined and the most forward comb should 
be kept in the centre of the hive with the less forward frames on either 
side and as close together as will allow the bees to work round the 
combs. As the strength of the hive increases the number of frames 
should be increased, always taking care to keep the most forward combs 
in the centre. If this system is followed the bees will always bo able 
to cover the combs and protect them from ants and other enemies. 
It will be found that the upper part of each comb is reserved for 
storing honey and the lower part for breeding cells principally, so that 
it is not necessary to follow the practice in vogue in Europe of having 
a layer of queen proof zinc between the honey and breeding combs, 
although this system may easily be adopted if desired. The best 
quality of honey is made during the months of June, July and August. 
That made during the preceeding months is thinner and of poorer 
