ntention to "quit," until they were moving! With all their goods ready
packed, they were soon under way, accompanied by their owner with
music; but whether they marched with martial precision, keeping time,
is uncertain. In this case the bees took the lead; the man with his
tin-pan music kept the rear, and was soon at a respectful distance.
They were either not in a mood, just then, to be charmed by melodious
sounds, or their business was too urgent to allow them to stop and
listen! Their means of locomotion being superior to his, he gave up in
despair, out of breath, after following about a mile. Another person,
about the same time in the day, saw a swarm moving in the same
direction of the first; he also followed them till compelled to yield
to their greater travelling facilities. A third discovered their flight
and attempted a race, but like the others soon came out behind. The
before-mentioned neighbor saw them, and thought of the fresh earth that
he had ploughed up, which he threw among them till they stopped. How
much farther they would have gone, if any, would be guessing. That it
was the same swarm that started three miles away, appears almost
certain; the direction was the same as seen by all, until they were
stopped; the time in the day also exactly corresponded.

We will now return to the issuing of the swarms. There will be some
emergencies to provide for, and some exceptions to notice.

TWO OR MORE SWARMS LIABLE TO UNITE.

If we expect to keep many stocks, the chances are that two or more may
issue at one time; and when they do, they nearly always cluster
together (I once knew an instance where only three stocks were kept;
they all swarmed and clustered together). It is plain that the greater
the number of stocks, the more such chances are multiplied.

DISADVANTAGE.

One first swarm, if of the usual size, will contain bees enough for
profit, yet two such will work together without quarrelling, and will
store about one-third more than either would alone; that is, if each
single swarm would get 50 lbs., the two together would not get over 70
lbs., perhaps less. Here, then, is a loss of 30 lbs., besides one of
the swarms is about lost for another year; because such double swarms
are not generally any better the next spring as a stock, and often not
as good as a single one. You will therefore see the advantage of
keeping the first swarms separate.

CAN OFTEN BE PREVENTED.

"Prevention is better th