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about 40 or 50 in the supers, the rest in the body boxes.
Mr Thomson, of Blantyre, says that with the Stewarton
hive the increase is on average 7 to 8 lbs each day, the
highest increase being 29 lbs. in 3 days, but he has
been informed that the increase has been as much as 33 lbs.
in three days.

In the use of rings or supers, as they are called, Mr.
Jesse tells us that if bees hang in clusters, as they often
will do, on the outside of the hive late in the season and
show no disposition to work, it is evident that there is a
want of room in the hive. Three or fours rings should
be cut from the bottom of a straw hive, or what is better,
the hollow cylinder recommended by Mr. Cotton, placed
on the stand and the over-loaded hive put over it and
the junction plastered with clay or mortar. The bees
which hang idly outside will then return to the parent
hive and begin to work. This hint should not be lost
sight of in the moist warm weather.

We have now arrived at the most important process
connected with bee keeping--

The Swarming and Hiving.

A popular writer says, in speaking about bees, that a
swarm will occasionally emerge from hives and bee-boxes
in spite of every plan of preventing it. The signs of
swarming are some of them appreciable by the most
expert bee masters only. A common sign of the emer-
gence of a swarm is inactivity in work and clusters of
bees hanging from the alighting board, and if the
weather is moist and warm the swarm, may be expected
with a certainty - from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. has been stated
as the period within which swarming occurs. A strong
swarm , let us observe, will consist of from ten to twenty
thousand bees ; a second swarm of about five thousand,
and to assist in counting - two thousand bees will fill a
pint measure. Few sights are more exciting that a
swarm of bees -- the air is clouded with them and vocal
with their united music. As soon as the queen bee
settles, the bees cluster around her and hang from the
branch on which she is ; then when the great mass forms
a compact cluster, take your bee box or hive, hold it with