184 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



natural swarming, in not disturbing the combs of the 

 mother-stock, is not only superior to it, in leaving a fertile 

 queen, but obviates almost entirely all risk of after- 

 swarming ; for the old queen, when given to the forced 

 SAvarm, very seldom attempts to lead forth a new colony 

 (p. 128) ; and the young one, which is given to the 

 mother-stock, is equally content except in very warm 

 climates to stay where she is put. Even if the old queen 

 is allowed to remain in the mother-stock, she will seldom 

 leave, if sufficient room is given for storing surplus honey ; 

 and it makes no difference as far as liability of swarming 

 is concerned where the young one is put.* 



The bee-keeper can double his stocks in one season, even 

 better in this way, than by the method described on page 

 162; and in favorable seasons and locations, this rate of 

 increase will yield a large surplus of honey. 



For bee-keepers who may desire a more rapid increase 

 of colonies, I shall give the methods, which after years 

 of experimenting I have found to be the best ; referring 

 them to the cautions already given, lest, at the end of the 

 season, they find that their fancied gains consist only of 

 large investments in dearly bought experience. If they 

 are cautious and skillful, in good seasons and locations, 

 they may safely increase their colonies three-fold, and 

 may, possibly, by liberal feeding, increase them five or six- 

 fold, or even more. 



The plan of artificial swarming, described on page 180, 

 when combined with the giving of a fertile young queen 



better of them, BO that they give their queen no chance to lay, and thus incur the 

 risk of perishing, in order to become over-rich. 



* I have frequently noticed that after-swarms are much less inclined than first 

 swarms to build drone-comb their young queens seldom laying many drone-eggs 

 the first season. If we can cause the new colonies to fill their hives almost 

 entirely with worker-combs, merely by supplying them with young queens, bee- 

 keeping will take another important step in advance. 



