204 
SUMMER. 
sprinkle them with water and drive them in; and by 
wetting the hive occasionally, it will carry off a large 
portion of the heat, and make it much more comfort- 
able. 
CLUSTERING BUSHES. 
If there are no large trees in the vicinity of your 
apiary, all the better, as there will then be no danger of 
your swarms lighting on them; but all bee-keepers are 
not so fortunate, myself being one of the number. In 
such a place it is necessary to provide something for 
them to cluster on; get some bushes six or eight feet 
high (hemlock is preferable) ; cut off the ends of the 
branches, except a few near the top ; secure the whole 
with strings to prevent swaying in ordinary winds; 
make a hole in the earth deep enough to hold them, 
and large enough to be lifted out easily. The bees 
will be likely to cluster on some of these ; they can 
then be raised out, and the bees hived without diffi- 
culty. A bunch of dry mullein tops tied together on 
the end of a pole, makes a very good place for clus- 
tering ; it so nearly resembles a swarm that the bees 
themselves appear to be sometimes deceived. I have 
frequently known them leave a branch where they 
had begun to cluster, and settle on this when held 
near. 
The motives for immediately removing the swarm 
to the stand are, that they are generally more con- 
venient to watch in case they are disposed to leave ; 
also many bees can be saved. All that leave the hive, 
mark the location the same as in spring; several hun- 
