234 A Modern Bee-Farm 
Solid masses of capped brood, with a crowd of hardy 
mature bees, and many young hatching, will induce the 
rapid development of further new combs packed with 
brood, while using frames having guides only along the 
top bars; and these placed one at a time between such 
solid capped brood. 
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CHAPTER XVI. 
THE ART OF PLUMPING ; 
OR, RAPID INCREASE IN SPRING. 
NEW term applied in bee-culture by my pamphlet 
of March, 1894, was that of “ Plumping,” a process 
7 whereby one or more colonies of bees can be 
supplied at once with a large complement of brood in 
Spring ; nuclei can be helped during the Summer, or 
backward stocks strengthened when Autumn arrives. 
It may surprise my readers to know that the most 
’ prolific queen ever reared can be worn out in six 
months. 
How is it Done ? 
As soon as natural pollen comes in freely, a stock is 
carefully arranged so that it completely crowds three 
combs. Two of the combs have plenty of young hatching 
from large patches of brood, while the central frame has a 
part or whole sheet of foundation, or a wax-guide only if it 
be early in the season. 
This central comb is built out so rapidly that every three 
or four days it can be removed, with eggs in every cell, 
each time being replaced by another frame with a guide to 
