378 
APPENDIX. 
year than last, where no combs were used*as guides. Whether it is owing to the 
raoidity of collecting honey, or some other cause, I cannot tell with my present ex- 
perience But notwithstanding this, this hive has many advantages yet unnoticed, 
which I will proceed to mention. 
First : The bees are allowed to work in their natural order, and make each comb 
in a separato frame, capable of being lifted out at pleasure, making it what it is 
called : “ movable-comb hive” It gives control of all the combs : and all necessary 
operations maybe performed without injury to a single bool This principle of 
getting at the interior of a bee-hive admits of a great many minor advantages. For 
instance, my first experiment : When one of the stocks that 1 had transferred (in 
1856) was supposed about ready to cast a swarm, I decided on making one artifi- 
cially. I had ready an empty hive, and operated in tho middle of the day , whoa 
the fewest bees were at home, and lifted out but a frame or two bdfore I found the 
queen. The comb which she was on was transferred to the empty hive, and then 
placed immediately upon the stand ; tho old hive with the rest of the combs ana 
bees were set upon a new ouo, several feet distant. I depended on tho returning 
bees to tho old stand to make the swarm, the old queen being there, and one comb 
was deemed sufficient to keep theiq. Mr. Langstroth considers this method of 
making artificial swarms of much risk to the old stock, a9 too many bees would be 
likely to join the old queen on the old stand, and leave the old stock with too few 
bees to manage it. Yet, on this occasion, and in many subsequent operations of 
this kind, there has not been an instance where tho parent stock was short of bees. 
I think, therefore, that I may safely recommend this method of making such 
swarms. 1 would add a caution about making them at any other time than tho 
proper season — that is, in a yield of honey. It would hardly do to remove the old 
stock when the swarm had boon driven out of tho common hive, because, in such a 
case, nearly all the young bees recently matured would be driven out with tho 
queen.* By tho use of the frames, there is another advantage in this way : I can 
ascertain whether any quccn-cells are in process of construction ; and, in case none 
are far advanced, I give one to tho old 6tock (from some other hive, oi course,) that 
will mature almost immediately — an important item, because every day that a fer- 
tile queen is absent from an old stock, full of combs ready for brood, makes a difler- 
enco of somo fifteen hundred to two thousand bees, amounting in a fortuigbt to a 
pretty good swarm. _ 
With tho common hive, and all others with which I am acquainted, tbe.ro is uo 
way to prevent over-suximninQ : they will frequently continue to throw out two, 
three, and even four, the last beiug small, thereby reducing tho old stock very 
much, if it doos not entirely ruin it •, but with the help of tho frames, it may bo 
prevented. Any time within a week after the first regular swarm, take out all the 
frames and look them over carefully, and with a knife cut out all tho qucen-eclls 
but one. Of course, but one queen can mature, and a second swarm need not bo 
expected. 
All stocks that swarm are liable to lose their queens at this season. Unless this 
loss is ascertained by their peculiar manifestations, within two or three days of 
its occurrence, it will bo too late, for tho judications of it will then cease, and 1 
know of no other moans of ascertaining it for somo weeks afterwards. By this 
time, it often happens that such stocks nro past recovery. This to me is a source 
of considerable loss, and unavoidable with tho common hive, as I have a great many 
away from home. But with tho frames I can ascertain this point at any time, by 
lifting out one or more after the young queen should have commenced her maternal 
duties, as eggs or brood indlcato her presence without looking for her. 
Every time a stock changes its queen, which all swarming hives do annually, 
there is a loss of over 20,000 bees 1 If the reader will pleaso look over page 72, ho 
will comprehend tho explanation that I am about to make, without my repeating 
that statement. Tho old queen leaves with tho first swarm, and no moro eggs are 
deposited before her successor is ready to begin, which is generally from sixteen to 
twenty days afterwards. If fifteen hundred or two thousand eggs are daily depos- 
ited — and it »joids very evideut that this is tho case,— thoro cannot bo less than 
somo twenty-four thousand lost. Now, if we lose a good swarm (24,000 bees), 
while waiting for a queen, we will sec if there is any way to prevent so much 
swarming, and consequently loss. Let your bees, if thero are. stocks enough with 
whVsh to take the trouble, be divided in two lots, at least a mile apart — two would 
be better. A soon as one or two havo swarmed, queen-coils enough for several 
artificial swarms may bo obtained. Just a day or two before they mature is tho 
time to operate, and if possible choose the middle of tho day. Thou go to a stock 
that can spare a swarm, and lift out tho frames and examine them one by one, to 
see that tho queen is not on them ; should she be soon, tho frame containing her, 
with the hoes attached, may be put into an empty hive for a few minutos ; the 
* Soe directions for this on p. 258. 
