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SWARMING

When so many bees are born that the hive becomes crowded, the inmates seem to come to an agreement to divide themselves up into two parties, one remaining in the old hive and the other starting out to secure a new home. This is called swarming. The new swarm must take the old queen with them. The queen is usually among the last to leave the hive. Sometimes she does not go at all and then the swarm returns to the hive after a time and try it again the next day. The first swarms usually come out in June and sometimes a second, or even a third, swarm issues during the season. Usually after going a short distance the swarm alights on a bush or the limb of a tree, and here the bee keeper follows and the swarm is skillfully transferred to a hive. In the picture we see a large swarm which settled on a slender tree, bending it over by its weight.

A SMOKER. This picture shows the tool which is used by men in Retting the honey from the hive. We cannot drive bees from the hive, as we can drive cattle and horses with a whip. If you were to try it you would soon be driven off yourself by the angry' bees, with their terrible sting. It is here that the power of smoke comes in. Blow a few puffs of smoke into a hive and it is astonishing to see the bees turn about and retreat in perfect dismay and fright. The above cut shows a picture of a device which is used for this purpose. In the can there is a little fire made with rotten wood or other material. The bellows forces the smoke through the mouth of the smoker into the hive. The bees soon become quiet and stupid and the cornb can be handled without trouble.

A HONEY EXTRACTOR. The above is the picture of a honey extractor. The original honey extractor was invented by a major in the German army who saw his little boy swinging an unsealed comb in a basket on the end of a string. He swung it around his head and his father noticed that the honey oozed out. Then he made a machine such as you see in the picture which, when whirled very fast, forced the honey out of the comb, just as the cream separator separates the milk from the cream. After it is forced from the cornb the honey drops to the bottom of the machine.