256 
SUMMER. 
artificial swarms, and succeed nine times in ten with 
the first effort, and the reader can as easily do the 
same. It must be in the swarming season, or as soon 
as the first regular swarm issues. You want some 
finished royal cells that any stock having cast a swarm 
will furnish, (unless in rare instances, where they are 
too far up among the combs to be seen.) 
A SUCCESSFUL METHOD. 
When you are all ready, take a stock that can spare 
a swarm ; if bees are on the outside, raise the hive on 
wedges, and drive them in with a little water, and dis- 
turb them gently with a stick. Now smoke and invert 
it, setting the empty hive over. If the two hives are 
of one size, and have been made by a workman, there 
will be no chance for the bees to escape, except the 
holes in the side ; these you will stop ; (no matter 
about a sheet tied around it.) With a light hammer 
or stick, strike the hive a few times lightly, and then 
let it remain five minutes. This is very essential, be- 
cause most of the bees, if allowed the opportunity, 
will fill themselves with honey after such disturbance. 
All regular swarms go forth so laden. A supply 
is necessary when bad weather follows soon after. It 
is also used in forming wax, a very necessary article 
in a new hive. The amount of honey carried out of 
a stock by a good swarm, together with the weight 
of the bees (which is not much), will vary from five 
to eight pounds. 
This, allowing time for the bees to fill their sacks, 
and supplying the old stock with a royal cell, I be- 
