SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 97 



division-board in the hive so there will be just room enough for six brood- 

 frames between it and the side of the hive where the entrance is. This six- 

 frame apartment next to the entrance is for the queen to occupy, and she 

 should never be allowed to enter the other twelve or fourteen frame apart- 

 ments of the hive, which is for cell-building. The cover for the hive should 

 be made in two sections — one covering the queen's apartment and the other 

 the cell-building apartment, so that the bees will not be disturbed in both 

 apartments by removing the cover when it would not be necessary. 



THE COLONY OF BEES FOR THE HIVE. 



A very strong colony should be selected for this hive, one that will 

 build a large number of very fine* large cells. Place the queen and six 

 frames of unsealed brood in her apartment of the hive close up to the 

 division-board and put the cover on her apartment ; then place the frames of 

 sealed and hatching brood in the cell-building apartment close up to the 

 division-board, and keep the frames on either side jammed up to it, and put 

 the cover on this apartment. 



DIPPING-STICKS AND CELL-MAKING. 



Make as many dipping-sticks as you think you will need, out of woo4 

 that will finish up smooth; then round them up so that they will be about 

 as large as a pencil, or just a little larger, and round them off at the dipping 

 ends so that they will be as near the shape of natural queen-cells as 

 possible; then tack them on a small thin strip of soft lumber by driving 

 the nails through the strip into the dipping-stick. The apparatus now 

 resembles a very small close tooth-rake. Clean the dipping-sticks up well 

 so they will be as smooth as possible ; then place them in water, before using, 

 long enough for them to be thoroughly soaked, and the hot wax will not 

 adhere to them. 



The wax for cell-cups should be thoroughly clean, and just hot enough 

 to run freely; then insert the prepared sticks into it about Yt or Ys, inch, 

 and continue to insert them in it until they are thick enough to stand 

 handling; then' remove them. The kink of forming celj-cups is soon 

 learned by a little practice. 



GIVING THE CELLS TO THE BEES IN THE CELL-BUILDING 

 APARTMENT. 

 Select two of the best frames of unsealed brood from the queen's 

 apartment, or any other colony in the apiary that may have choice combs 

 of unsealed brood (always leaving the queen in her room), and insert two 

 other frames in their places. 



Now stick as many of the prepared cells as you desire on one side 

 of these combs, and press them in the comb so that the mouth of the 

 cell-cups will extend downward, and just a little out beyond the surface 

 of the comb, so that they can be easily grafted. If you have a large batch 



