Year: 1860

| Gus, would be found very populous. In
cases Of late swarming, say the last of
June, 1t is we'll to unite second swarms, if


it is not desired to increase the number
of stocks very fast If tn season is a
good one, if they would be likely to make
few pounds of surplus honey; at any
rate, they would fill the hive and form a
strong stock, and probably be very pros
porous the year following. Third swarlns
issuing as early as the 18th of June and
hived alone, will store about Is pounds of
honey in an average season, which is
worth at least two dollars and fifty cents,
and in the fall the bees may be driven
out and united with some weak swarm,
when the two together will winter much
better, and, strange as it may appear,
will consume but a small amount more
honey during the winter, than each would
if kept separately. 1t is much the best
way to unite swarms at the season of
swarming, and then they will be likely
to fill the hives with honey and combs,
and consequently swarm earlier the fol-
lowing season; whereas, if not united
till fall, some hives will be only half or
two-thirds filled, and of course the sea-
son will be pretty well ad ced before
they would fill the remainder and send
off swarm.


When swarms are united soon after
issuing, no fighting will occur. All that
Is necessary to do then, is to hive the
swarm that is to be united with another in
any convenient box, and shake the bees
down Immediately IN front of the other
hive, when they will quickly enter, and
ali will go on peaceably. Uniting fami-
lies in the fall is very different thing,
as each stock of bees has peculiar scent,
and in uniting them, until the two be-
come blended, more or less fighting will
occur


The course then to be pursued, is to
pace one hive bottom upwards and cover
with piece of gauLe or very thin cloth.
The other hive should be set directly up
on this, and the bees in both prevented
from escaping, but care should be taken
t. allow sufficient air for respiration.
After remaining in this position d cou-
pie of days, the odors Of the two will be-
come so blended that they may be united
with perfect safety. To do this, the
cloth that divides them should be with
drawn, and the lower hive raped smart
ly with rod, when, with the aid of smoke
applied to the lower end of the hive, the
bees will nearly all ascend to the upper
one, and no fighting will take place. In
all such operations with bees, one should
be protected with a bee-dress or veil,
and thick woolen gloves, to protect his
face and hands.


The present month is good time to
examing the hives and observe. their cons
dition. All new swarms, to winter well
and be safe against all contingencies
that is, an early setting in of cold wealth
er, and cold, late Spring-should weigh
at least Is pounds exclusive of the hive;
and old stocks considerably more, say
from twenty to thirty pounds. Many old
hives will weighas much without pound
of honey, as new one that has been
occupied bat Cna season, and contains
from eight to ten pounds. All late swarms
and old stocks, that from any cause has
failed to lay up sufficient stores to do
them through the winter, may be fed so
as to winter just as well as any. I'm
less it is desired to increase the number
of stocks as fast as possible for year
or two, would not advise to unite such
weak swarms, but rather to unite them
with some hive that contains sore enough
without feeding, as recommended above.
The reason is, a.late, weak swarm will
send off late weak swarms the next sea-
son. As an early lamb or pig Is worth
more than a late one, so is an early
swarm of bees more valuable than late
one, only there is a much greater diff
ference, as can readily be shown. A
first swarm of mine that was hived the
first day of June, stored forty pounds of
surplus honey. A first swarm that issued
July Cd, have only filed the hive, and
of the two swarms the latter was the
,a.ger. Therefore it should he an OBJ
ject with the apiarian to secure as many
ea rII, svvarns aS nOSSihIe