Note 1 — Chapter II · THE CONTROLLABLE HIVE AND NEW SYSTEM OF BEE MANAGEMENT.

Here let me be clearly understood. I admit that bees will sometimes swarm, with abundant room for work in their boxes. Yet I claim that on my plan, all increase by swarming may be prevented without great trouble or perplexity, such as has heretofore attended all attempts to bring about this greatly to be desired object. If a person commences bee keeping, with a certain number of swarms in Controllable Hives, and in early spring gives the bees access to the side boxes, and later, after they commence work in them, gives the bees access to the top boxes, giving them otherwise ordinary care, (except to feed if desired,) but a small proportion will swarm on the average yearly. Much the larger portion will work in the boxes without swarming out, and give a handsome yield of surplus box honey, the yield of course being governed by the amount of feed given them, and the yield from flowers, etc. But if increase of stocks is preferred, rather than surplus honey—if the bees are not given access to the boxes, but confined in their labors to the brood section of the hive, being fed as directed, nearly every one will swarm, and swarm early. After long experience, however, I recommend putting on the boxes early, we shall thus, in most cases, get a greater profit than otherwise.