262 
SUMMER. 
to be too cool for any bees to be outside — any unusual 
stir, or commotion, similar to wbat Las been described, 
shows the loss. This is the worst time in the year to 
provide the remedy, unless there should happen to be 
some very poor stock containing a queen, that we 
might lose any way — then it might be advisable to 
sacrifice it to save the other, especially if the last con- 
tained all the requisites of a good stock except a queen. 
Some eight or ten, that I have managed in this way, 
have given me full satisfaction. I have at other times 
let them go till the swarming season, and then pro- 
cured a queen, or introduced a small swarm ; at which 
time they are so reduced as to be worth but little, even 
when not affected by the worms. To obviate this loss 
in this way, it might be an advantage to transfer the 
bees to the next stock, if it was not too full already ; 
or the bees of the next stock to this. Let the age and 
condition of the combs, quantity of stores, &c., decide. 
CHAPTER XV. 
ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 
PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD. 
Artificial swarms can be made with safety at the 
proper season. To the bee-keeper who wishes to in- 
crease his stocks, it will be an advantage to understand 
some of the principles. I have had some little experi- 
ence that has led to different conclusions from those of 
some others. I have seen it stated, and found the asser- 
tion repeated by nearly every writer, that “ whenever 
