A YEAR'S WORK IN AN OUT-APIARY 3S 



majority had brood In only six combs, and some of those not nearly 

 filled. In looking over the situation I see that the only plan that gav& 

 me any assurance of success was that of "massing the brood," as I calS 

 it, which was done as follows: 



When the cover was off the hive ready for putting on the queen- 

 excluder I took out all of the combs which did not have brood In them, 

 putting these in what was to be the upper hive, leaving out as many 

 of the reserve or wintered-over combs as was necessary to make room 

 for these. In those hives in which I found brood in only six combs, 

 the other four combs were put in the upper story, or the hive which 

 was to be soon put over the queen-excluder. Having these thus arranged 

 I went to another hive having brood in six combs and took out four 

 frames which were the nearest occupied with emerging brood of any 

 they had, and put them in the colony from which I had just taken 

 the four combs having no brood in them, while the four reserve combs 

 which had been left out of the upper story were put in the now weaker 

 colony to take the place of the brood taken out. These four combs 

 were placed each side of the two combs left having brood in them, 

 rather than in the center between them, so that the queen in laying, 

 which she will now do rapidly, will work out from these two frames 

 of brood, and in this way no brood will be lost during such cool or 

 cold weather, as would be the case were these four combs placed in 

 the center, or from where we took the brood. By working thus, this 

 now weaker colony will get into the right condition to receive a hive 

 of beeless brood when the time of shaking arrives, as will soon be 

 given. A queen-excluder is now placed on top of the hive we have 

 just filled with brood, and the hive full of combs, four of which have just 

 been taken from below, is now set over the excluder, when they are left 

 till our next visit at the opening of the clover bloom. Hives which 

 have seven combs of brood have their three broodless combs taken away 

 and three frames of brood from another colony given them, and so on, 

 until all which the yard will furnish, that are strong enough, are fixed 

 in the same way. In this way these colonies which are given brood 

 arrive in nearly as good condition for shaking, when the season for so 

 doing arrives, as do those which are of our best in a good year, so that 

 they are ready to take advantage of the clover and basswood bloom 

 when the same arrives, while NONE would be did we not have an "eye" 

 to the existing state of affairs. Of course, we can not secure as large 

 a crop of honey from the part which can be gotten ready in this way 

 as we could were all strong; but we can secure quite a crop of section 

 honey, even in the poorest season, as against none, or very nearly that, 

 did we not have an eye to the season. Then, to carry out this plan so 

 as to make the colonies from which we took the brood do their part in 

 the matter, at time of shaking, the combs of beeless brood are given to 

 these colonies, one hive to each, in such a way that we do not lose as 

 much as we would naturally think, while gaining a whole lot by get- 

 ting the others strong in time to take advantage of the first honey-flow 

 of the season. Lest any may think that this way of working is the rule 



