326 STATE BOAED OF AGKICULTUHE. 



vvliich tho "worker bees, perhaps moved by like considerations, begin to construct, 

 if they are not ah'eady in existence. In fact, drone comb is ahnost sure of con- 

 struction at such times. l\o sooner is the drone brood well under way than the 

 large awkAvard queen-cells are commenced, often to the number of ten or fifteen, 

 though there may bo not more than three or four. In these eggs are placed, 

 and the rich royal jelly added, and soon, often before the cells are even capped, 

 some bright day, usually about ten o'clock, after an unusual disquiet both inside 

 and outside the hive, a large part of the worker-bees, having previously loaded 

 their honey-sacks, rush forth from the hive as if alarmed by the cry of fire, the 

 queen among tho number, though she is by no means among the first, and fre- 

 quently is quite late in her exit. The bees thus started on their quest for a new 

 home, after many uproarious gyrations about the old one, dart forth to alight 

 upon some bush, limb, or fence, though in one case I have knovv'n the first 

 swarm of bees to leave at once for parts unknoAvn without even waiting to clus- 

 ter. After thus meditating for the space of from one to three hours upon a 

 future course, they again take wing and leave for their new home, which they 

 have probably already sought out. If for any reason the queen should fail to 

 join tho bees, and perhaps rarely, when she is among them, they will, after 

 having clustered, return to their old home. The youngest bees will remain in 

 the old hive, to which those bees which are abroad in quest of stores will return. 

 The presence of young bees on the ground, — those with flight too feeble to join 

 the rovers, — will alvrays mark the previous home of the emigrants. Soon, in 

 about eight days, the first queen will come forth from her cell, and in two or 

 three days she will or may lead a new colony forth, but before she does this the 

 peculiar note, known as the piping of the queen, may be lieard. At successive 

 periods of one or two days one, two, or even three more colonies may issue from 

 the old home. These last swarms will all be heralded by the piping of the 

 queen. They will be less particular as to the time of day when they issue, and 

 as a rule will cluster farther from the old hive. 



Tlie cutting short of swarming preparations before the second, third, or even 

 the first swarm issues is by no means a rare occurrence. This is done by the 

 bees destroying the queen cells, and sometimes by a general extermination of 

 the drones, and is generally to be explained by a cessation in tlie honey yield. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE PEODUCTS OF THE HIVE, WHEEE a:N"D HOW OBTAINED, AND FOR 



WHAT PURPOSE. 



HOXET. 



Of course the first jn'oduct of bees, not only to attract attention, but also in 

 importance, is honey. And v,diat is honey? We can only say that it is a 

 sweet substance gathered from flowers and other sources by the bees. We can- 

 not, therefore, give its chemical composition, which would be as varied as the 

 sources from which it comes. We cannot even call it a sugar, for it may be, and 

 always is composed of various sugars, and thus it is easy to understand why 



