eg, or abdomen, and all of them be
irritable for several days. A little tobacco smoke is preferable, as it
keeps all quiet. Just raise the box to be taken off sufficient to puff
under it some smoke, and the bees will leave the vicinity of the holes
in an instant; the box can then be removed, and another put on if
necessary, without exciting their anger in the least.

MANNER OF DISPOSING OF THE BEES IN THE BOXES.

Arouse the bees by striking the box lightly four or five times. If all
the cells are finished, and honey is still obtained, turn the box
bottom up, near the hive from which it was taken, so that the bees can
enter it without flying; by this means you can save several young bees,
that have never left the hive and marked the location, and a few others
too weak to fly, but will follow the others into the hive; (such are
lost when we are obliged to carry them at a distance.) Boxes can be
taken off either in the morning or evening; if in the morning, it may
stand several hours when the sun is not too hot, but on no account let
it stand in the sun in the middle of the day, as the combs will melt.
The bees will all leave, sometimes in an hour; at others they will not
be out in three. They may be taken off at evening and stand till
morning, in fair weather; if not too cool, they are generally all out;
but here is some risk of the moth finding it and depositing her eggs;
perhaps one in fifty may be thus found.

BEES DISPOSED TO CARRY AWAY HONEY.

When boxes are taken off at the end of the honey season, a different
method of getting rid of the bees must be adopted, or we lose our
honey. Unless the combs are all finished, we lose some then any way, as
most of the bees fill themselves before leaving; they carry it home and
return for more immediately, and take it all, if not prevented. It has
been recommended to take it to some dark room with a small opening to
let the bees out; in the course of the day they will sometimes all
leave; but this method I have found unsafe, as they sometimes find the
way back. When a large number of boxes are to be managed, a more
expeditious mode is, to have a large box with close joints, or an empty
hogshead, or a few barrels with one head out, set in some convenient
place; put the boxes in, one above another, but not in a manner to stop
the holes; over the top throw a sheet of one thickness, a thin one is
best, as it will let through more light. The bees will leave the boxes,
creep