ARTIFICIAL SIVA TIMING. 
163 
without any further trouble, your parent-stocks and forced 
swarms will alike prosper. 
One great advantage which this method has over all 
others, is, that it secures, so simply and effectually, the 
necessary number of bees for the parent-stocks. Inexpe- 
rienced persons, instead of being perplexed to know how 
many bees they shall leave in the forced stocks, may dii\e 
from them, if they can, every bee. If the bee-keeper can- 
not conveniently obtain a swarm from a distance, he may 
use, for this purpose, the first natural swarm which comes 
oft' in his own Apiary ; and by delaying to make artificial 
colonies until natural swarms begin to issue, every such 
swarm may be used for forming at least foui ai t ifici.il 
swarms. Or, by the method recommended by Ur. Don- 
holf, of Germany, he may secure a colony, which, when 
divided in the way above mentioned, will adhere to 
their new locations : “ On an evening, when the next 
day promises to be clear and warm, drive out a swarm, 
and set it in the place of the parent-stock. Next day, 
when it is warm, pour some honey among the bees in 
the l>ox, and in a few hours they will swarm.”* 
The directions given for the formation of artificial colo- 
nies, differ, in some important respects, from any furnished 
by other writers, and arc so simple that any one accustomed 
to handle bees can easily follow them. They enable the 
* A forced swarm rany ho made to adhorc to Us new location ns follows : Secnro 
their queen, when they are shaken out of the hive; and when they show that 
they miss tier, confine them to their hive, until their agitation lias reached Its 
ueisht. Then open the hive, and ns the bees begin to tako wing, present to them 
their queen (see p. 169). When they have clustered nround her, they may he 
treated like a untnrnl swarm. To do this with evory forced swarm would tako 
too much time; but it would answer well when the forced swarm is to bo 
divided, as above, Into four or five ports. 
Mr. P. J. Mahon, of Philadelphia, informs mo that ho has several times suc- 
ceeded in making an old colony adhere to a new place iii the Apiary, by beating 
the hive, after the bees have been shut In, even at the risk of slightly injuringsomo 
of it* combs. When it is opened, the bees will fly out in great numbers, out 
Hourly all will return to their hive on tho new stand. 
