28 
MANUAL OF THE 
REMARKS. 
This operation, says Mr. Weeks, is both practicable 
and easy, and is of prime importance to all cultivators 
who wish to avoid the necessity of hiving their Bees 
when they swarm. And yet, it will not prevent swarm- 
ing, except in that part of the divided colony contain- 
ing the Queen at the time of their separation. The 
other part are compelled to make another Queen ; 
and as they generally make two or more, may swarm 
to avoid their conflict. The Hive containing the old 
Queen may swarm for want of room; but, at any rate, 
you save hiving, and prevent one swarm fleeing to the 
woods, by performing this operation. It should be 
performed in the evening, for two reasons: First, that 
all the workers may be at home in the Hive; and, tec- 
ond, that the Bees may become <piiet through the cool 
of the night. Much care should be used in watering 
Bees while in a state of confinement. If a dish of 
water be set in the Hive, they will be very apt to get 
drowned. To prevent this, it is best to set a shallow 
dish into the Hive, and fit into it a thin piece of wood, 
full of small holes, so that the Bees can suck water 
from the dish. The hoard should be made very thin, 
and a little smaller than the dish, that it may settle as 
fast as the Bees drink the water. Place the water in 
the most convenient part of your Hive. 
It is important to remove imperfect comb. Every 
brood that hatches leaves a cocoon, in the cells: so 
that the Bees soon become dwarfs. The welfare of a 
colony depends upon their being transferred once in 
three or four years. You should remove but one of 
the inner Hives the same year. When you wish to 
transfer an inner Hive, turn the tongue in the Hive 
tube within 1-4 of an inch of the side of the tube, and 
the Bees on their return will enter on the other side, 
and the one you wish to remove may, in this way, be 
nearly evacuated. After the Bees have mostly left, re- 
move the inner Hive, and insert a clean one in its place. 
You can then remove the comb from the one taken out, 
and huve it in readiness for another Hive. Observe 
