s never
certain but in leaf hives. In these we can see whether the population is
sufficient to admit of division, if the brood is of the proper age, if
males exist or are ready to be produced for impregnating the young
queens.

Supposing the union of all these conditions, the following is the method
to be pursued. The leaf hive may be divided through the middle without
any shock. Two empty divisions may be insinuated between the halves,
which, when exactly applied to each other, are close on the outside. The
queen must be sought in one of the halves, and marked to avoid mistake.
If she by chance remains in the division with most brood, she is to be
transferred to the other with less, that the bees may have every
possible opportunity of obtaining another female. Next, it is necessary
to connect the halves together, by a cord tied tight around them, and
care must be taken that they are set on the same board that the hive
previously occupied. The old entrance, now become useless, will be shut
up; but as each half requires a new one, it ought to be made at the
bottom of each division, on purpose that they may be as far asunder as
possible. Both entrances should not be made on the same day. The bees in
the half deprived of the queen ought to be confined twenty-four hours,
and no opening made before then except for admission of air. Without
this precaution, they would soon search for their queen, and infallibly
find her in the other division. They will then retire in great numbers
from their own division, until too few remain to perform the necessary
labours. But this will not ensue if they are confined twenty-four hours,
provided that interval is sufficient to make them forget the queen. When
all these circumstances are favourable, the bees, in the division
wanting the queen, will the same day begin to labour in procuring
another, and ten or fifteen days after the operation, their loss will be
repaired. The young female they have reared, soon issues forth to seek
impregnation, and in two days commences the laying of workers eggs.
Nothing more is wanting to the bees of this half hive, and the success
of the artificial swarm is ensured.

It is to M. Schirach that we are indebted for this ingenious method of
forming swarms. He supposes, by producing young queens early in spring,
that early swarms might be procured, which would certainly be
advantageous in favourable circumstances. But unfortunately this is
impossible. Schirac