ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 
157 
These difficulties may be obviated by removing either 
colony about half a mile from its former home, in which 
case, if forage is abundant, nearly all will remain in their 
proper hive. Some recommend that they should be car¬ 
ried off at least three miles; but I have found that this is 
unnecessary, unless there is a deficiency of blossoms in 
the immediate vicinity of their new home. If the colonies 
are carried off, the precautions given elsewhere* for mov¬ 
ing bees must be carefully followed; also the directions 
for retaining a sufficient number of bees in the parent- 
stock. Those not carried off must be put on their old 
stands. 
As the transportation of colonies is laborious, and often¬ 
times expensive, I shall describe the methods which, after 
years of experimenting, I have devised for dispensing with 
it. I have ascertained that, if a hive is removed, most 
of the bees returning from abroad and alighting upon a 
neighboring hive, if kindly received, will not go back to 
their former stand. Even the temporary loss of their old 
home is followed by a distraction which makes on them 
such a permanent impression, that they mark their new 
location as carefully as a new swarm. Now I find that, 
on the same principle, nearly all the bees which have 
returned from the fields, while a swarm is being forced 
from the parent-hive, will enter this hive if it is put upon 
its old stand, and adhere to it afterwards wherever it may 
be placed. 
As soon, therefore, as the bee-keeper has forced a swarm, 
the forcing-box must be gently lifted off, and set in a 
shady place where the bees will have plenty of air. The 
parent-stock should now be put, without crushing any bees, 
on the old stand, so that all which have returned from 
foraging may enter it. The bees, which before this were 
* The copious alphabetical Index at tho end, makes it easy to refer to any. sub¬ 
ject discussed in this book. 
