g8 SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



of cells, place them in rows on the comb about VA inches apart, and about 

 one inch between them. When all the cell-cups have been carefully placed 

 in the face of this side of this comb, move all the combs except two back 

 from the division-board in the cellrbuilding apartment, and put in the two 

 frames of unsealed brood, one of which contains the prepared cell-cups 

 inserted in one side of it, close up to the two frames left next to the division- 

 board, so that the cells will be between the two frames of unsealed brood. 

 In about two hours the bees will have the cells polished, trimmed round 

 and even, and attached well to the comb; and they are warm, being of 

 the same temperature as the interior of the hive, and in the best possible 

 condition for grafting. 



THE GRAFTING-STICK. 



A piece of green hickory or white oak, or any kind of wood that will 

 bend and not break, will make a good grafting-stick. Make it about three 

 or four inches long, and about the size of a toothpick made out of a feather, 

 and shave one end down to a feather edge, and trim it until it is about Ss 

 wide as the point of a pen ; then curve the end so it will dip out tiny 

 larvae. 



GRAFTING CELLS. 



Select a comb containing very small or tiny larvae from the colony 

 containing our breeding-queen, and remove the comb from the cell-building 

 colony which contains the prepared cell-cups, and place it in position so that 

 the mouth of the cells will extend upward, and the bottoms be clearly and 

 easily seen. Now take the selected comb of tiny larvae in hand, and, with 

 the grafting-stick, proceed to dip out the larvae carefully, and place them 

 gently in the bottoms of the cells by giving the stick a side move. 



When all the cells have been thus grafted, set the comb back in its- 

 place in the cell-building colony. The other frame of unsealed larvae 

 should not be so close to the side of the comb containing the grafted cell- 

 cups that the bees will attach them to it while building them out. Make the 

 date of grafting on the top-bar so you can tell when the cells are ripe. 

 Place the cover on, and in 24 hours examine the cells and remove those 

 that the bees have not accepted, and they will do for the next grafting, 

 which can be done six days later. 



Grafting should be done during the warm part of the day, and the 

 larvae should never be exposed to the direct rays of the sun. 



In nine or ten days the cells will be ready to be removed and placed 

 in cell-protectors, and distributed out in nuclei or queenless colonies pre- 

 pared for them. 



If it is desired to raise queens in a wholesale way, have the cells 

 started in three or four frame nuclei which have been made queenless 

 for 24 hours previous to the time the prepared cell-cups are given them 

 to be polished, trimmed, and cleaned up. Of course, the cells should be 

 inserted on the side of the comb containing most unsealed brood, and 



