60 
BEE-CULTURE. 
standing near, my queen got out of her cage and lit on her 
shoulder and the bees commenced clustering with her, and it 
was with difficulty that she could prevent them from lighting 
there, even after the queen had been removed. A hive or 
box is sometimes set immediately over the bees, and they run 
up into it. When high up on a branch, a large basket could 
be fastened to a pole, and reaching up, jar the bees into it; 
let the basket down gently, and cover the basket over with a 
cloth until the bees have become quiet, they can then be 
hived. Nothing is needed in the hive to induce the bees to 
stay, except to be cool, clean and rather rough where the 
bees have to fasten their combs. To rub the hive inside with 
peach or hickory leaves, or salt water, or sugar water is all 
unnecessary. I use none of these, and could hardly have bet- 
ter success than I have. Some persons lose one-fourth of their 
bees by their going to the woods either before or after they 
are hived. I have not had one hive in one hundred to leave 
me when I have been at home to attend to them. Although 
I consider this rather remarkable, yet am strongly inclined to 
think that the proper management of swarms has something 
to do with it. 
DO BEKS HAVE THEIR HOME IN THE WOODS SELECTED BEFORE LEAVING 
. THE niVE ? 
This is an unsettled question, yet it seems most probable 
that some of them do; at least when they come out of the hive 
and go immediately in a straight line to the tree. 
BEE-TREES. 
In swarming time bees are often found clearing the hollow 
of a tree, and soon after a swarm has been known to enter it. 
When bees are hunting a home they can be seen hovering 
about a hole in a tree, and flying up and down and around it 
apparently in search of something; whilst ifa colony be already 
lodged in a tree, the bees will be flying to and from it more 
in a straight lme. Observance of this rule would prevent 
many a large tree from being unnecessarily cut for bees in 
swarming time. 
TO CUT A BEE-TREE. 
Cut a bee-tree as soon as a swarm has been known to enter, 
before the bees commence building combs, otherwise defer 
