ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 
255 
some effect on the bees, and prevent their rearing a 
queen. This idea suggested the dividing hive, when 
the division could be made quietly ; but success was 
yet uncertain. I was told to confine the bees in the 
old stock twenty-four hours or more, after driving out 
a swarm ; this I tried, with no better results. Again, 
I drove out the swarm, looked out the queen, and re- 
turned her to the old stock, compelling the new 
swarm to raise one. To be certain they did so, I con- 
structed a small box about four inches square, by two 
in thickness; the sides glass. In this I put the piece 
of brood-comb containing eggs and larvae, and then 
put it on the hive containing the swarm, having holes 
for communication, a cover to keep it dark, &c. They 
were very sure to rear queens, but from some cause 
were lost after they were matured. 
Now, if others have been more successful in these 
experiments than myself, it indicates that some favor- 
able circumstances attended them that did not me. I 
have not the least doubt but the result will be favor- 
able sometimes. Yet from the foregoing, I became 
satisfied that not one of these methods could be relied 
upon. Instead of constructing a queen’s cell, and then 
removing the egg or larva to it from another cell, I 
always found that the cell containing such egg or 
larva was changed from the horizontal to the perpen- 
dicular ; such cells as were in the way below were cut 
off, probably using the material in forming one for 
royalty, which, when finished, contains as much ma- 
terial as fifty or a hundred others. 
My experiments did not end here. I can now make 
