INCREASE AND THE PEOFITABLE PRODUCTION OF BEES. 53 



the brood " by inserting a frame of empty comb in the centre 

 of the brood nest, or, failing this, a frame titted with a full 

 sheet of foundation. 



The 1st of April will be quite early enough for the tyro 

 to commence spreading brood, because there is danger with 

 an inexperienced person of spreading the brood too early, when 

 the bees are unable to keep up the warmth of tlie hive, and 

 " chilled brood " is the result, which means that a 'large 

 quantity of the brood dies ; instead, therefore, of the hive beino- 

 strengthened it is greatly weakened, so as often to be rendered 

 quite useless for that season by the untimely spreading of the 

 brood. Supposing, however, that we begin spreading brood about 

 the 1st of April, if all goes on well, the stock should be ready 

 for another frame of comb or foundation in a week or ten days, 

 and another a week after that, and so on until it occupies 

 eight or at most nine frames : the reason for restricting the 

 bees to eight or nine frames is that they swarm much earlier 

 than they do when given more room. Unless the season is 

 rery bad or the district an extremely poor one, the bees will 



be able to gather enough for themselves after the beginning 



or at latest the middle— of May, without any further feeding. 

 Of course in districts where there is fruit blossom the bees will 

 be independent of artificial food somewhat earlier in the season. 

 Each hive should be allowed to have about half a frame of drone 

 comb. 



In the latter half of May or early in June the stock will 

 probably throw a strong swarm, which should be hived on six 

 or seven frames of comb or foundation. If the weather is 

 bad they will be greatly assisted by a little feeding at first. 

 As they draw out the foundation or store the combs with 

 honey more frames may be added in the centre of the brood 

 nest until the desired number has been attained. It should be 

 mentioned that a strong early swarm, hived on six frames of 

 drawn-out comb, and restricted to this number, often throws 

 another swarm later in the season, such a swarm being known 

 as a " maiden swarm " ; these swarms usually require feeding 

 up before the winter, because they seldom gather enough for 

 themselves. 



Eight or nine days after the first swarm came off a second 

 is almost sure to issue from the old stock. As soon as we have 

 hived it we can go to the old stock and remove three frames of 

 brood and bees, taking care that one of the frames contains a 



