﻿Duration 
  of 
  Life 
  in 
  the 
  Honey 
  Bee. 
  

  

  167 
  

  

  Disadvantages 
  attending 
  the 
  

   retention 
  of 
  Swarms. 
  

   late 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  as 
  a 
  younj 
  

   one.* 
  

  

  Comparative 
  advantages 
  pos- 
  

   sessed 
  by 
  a 
  Stock. 
  

   let 
  us 
  suppose 
  that 
  even 
  500 
  

   or 
  1000 
  bees 
  are 
  produced 
  

   after 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  September, 
  

   their 
  thread 
  of 
  life 
  will 
  not 
  

   be 
  run 
  out 
  so 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  

   succeeding 
  spring, 
  and 
  it 
  must 
  

   be 
  apparent 
  that 
  the 
  aid 
  and 
  

   assistance 
  of 
  these 
  500 
  or 
  1000 
  

   bees 
  for 
  a 
  fortnight 
  or 
  three 
  

   weeks, 
  at 
  the 
  critical 
  time 
  

   pointed 
  out 
  in 
  our 
  discussion 
  

   of 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  the 
  worker 
  bee, 
  

   will 
  be 
  of 
  paramount 
  import- 
  

   ance 
  in 
  ensuring 
  the 
  future 
  

   strength 
  of 
  the 
  stock, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  

   almost 
  a 
  maxim 
  in 
  bee 
  econo- 
  

   my, 
  that 
  a 
  strong 
  hive 
  at 
  that 
  

   particular 
  time 
  will 
  become 
  

   stronger, 
  whilst 
  a 
  weak 
  one 
  will 
  

   become 
  weaker. 
  

  

  Against 
  the 
  advantages 
  thus 
  possessed 
  by 
  a 
  stock 
  over 
  a 
  

   swarm, 
  we 
  must 
  not 
  lose 
  sight 
  of 
  the 
  disadvantage 
  in 
  a 
  stock 
  

   arising 
  from 
  the 
  cells 
  having 
  become 
  so 
  contracted 
  with 
  the 
  

   cocoons 
  left 
  by 
  the 
  bees 
  after 
  continuous 
  breeding, 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  ren- 
  

   dered 
  unfit 
  for 
  use 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  this 
  will 
  only 
  happen 
  in 
  a 
  stock 
  

   much 
  advanced 
  in 
  years 
  (more 
  than 
  five 
  or 
  six), 
  the 
  preponde- 
  

   rating 
  advantages 
  possessed 
  by 
  a 
  stock 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  years 
  over 
  

   a 
  swarm 
  are 
  so 
  great 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  safely 
  conclude 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  

   most 
  earnest 
  advice 
  to 
  select 
  stocks 
  for 
  stores 
  instead 
  of 
  swarms 
  ; 
  

   even 
  the 
  single 
  disadvantage 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  stock, 
  alluded 
  to 
  

   above, 
  may 
  be 
  obviated, 
  if 
  the 
  hive 
  is 
  so 
  constructed 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  

   the 
  combs 
  being 
  readily 
  cut 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  

   to 
  enable 
  the 
  bees 
  to 
  renew 
  them. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  already 
  seen 
  that 
  a 
  double 
  swarm 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  not 
  of 
  

   much 
  permanent 
  service 
  to 
  the 
  apiarian, 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  moments' 
  re- 
  

   flection 
  will 
  convince 
  us 
  that 
  the 
  case 
  is 
  very 
  different 
  with 
  the 
  

   autumnal 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  bees 
  then 
  composing 
  stocks 
  or 
  swarms 
  ; 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  the 
  observatory 
  hive 
  the 
  youtig 
  queen 
  was 
  laying 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  week 
  

   in 
  September, 
  though 
  very 
  slowly. 
  

  

  