. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. '^~T"T~'i llcleit; Swarming—Its Cause and Prevention. BY GEO. F. BOBBINS. I notice by the report of the Chicago meeting of the Illi- nois State Bee-Keepers' Association (page 103), that the " swarming-fever " struck the convention. I wish I had been there to doctor them. I could have cured them. In other words, I linow why bees swarm. There are a great many things about bee-keeping that I do not know, many that I am uncertain about, many things I think, but this one thing I know. And knowing the causes, I practically know to just what e
. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. '^~T"T~'i llcleit; Swarming—Its Cause and Prevention. BY GEO. F. BOBBINS. I notice by the report of the Chicago meeting of the Illi- nois State Bee-Keepers' Association (page 103), that the " swarming-fever " struck the convention. I wish I had been there to doctor them. I could have cured them. In other words, I linow why bees swarm. There are a great many things about bee-keeping that I do not know, many that I am uncertain about, many things I think, but this one thing I know. And knowing the causes, I practically know to just what extent swarming can be prevented, and how to do it. Now if you will all give me your attention, I will tell you what I know, and add a little, perhaps, that I do not know, but I will tell you when I come to that. And when you have read what I have written, if it is too hard for you to remem- ber, file away this number of the American Bee Journal, or cut out this article and paste it in your scrap-book. Then if ever this matter begins to exercise you again, just look this up, read it, and set your questionings at rest. It is not enough to say that it is the nature of bees to swarm, therefore, swarming cannot be prevented. Indeed, the premise is not exactly true. It is not enough to say it is the nature of corn to grow, therefore it will grow. In order to reproduce and propagate the species, Nature has implanted In the grain of corn a germ, which, if fed and nursed accord-. House-Apiary of E. Qouldinu, Wcllesley, Mass.—Winter View. ing to Nature's laws, will grow and become a sprout, then a stalk—otherwise it will remain a latent germ or perish entirely. The bent to swarm is not primarily the nature of bees—it is not itself the germ. It is only a form or outgrowth of the instinct to reproduce and propagate the race, which is im- planted in the bee as in all other species of the animal world. That instinct is the organic principle—the germ which, if properly fed and nurse
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbees, bookyear1861
