170 NATUEAL AND ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 



pie space afforded the queen to deposit eggs, the impulse 

 to swarm will usually be held in check. Colonies with 

 young queens are not so apt to endeaYor to swarm. For 

 ten years past I have extracted honey largely, taking it 

 by the ton each season (excepting 1869), and I have never 

 had a stock attempt to swarm which was extracted reg- 

 ularly each week. This indicates some of the conditions 

 necessary to control the tendency to swarm. But where 

 hives are boxed, the problem is a more perplexing one. 



DEPEIVIKG OF A QUEEN. 



There is a practice advocated which is based upon the 

 fixed principle that a swarm will not issue, and found a 

 new colony, without a queen. Consequently, if a hive is 

 made queenless at the beginning of the swarming season, 

 no swarm can issue until another queen is in some way 

 supplied. If, on the ninth day after the queen is taken 

 away, all queen-cells are removed, the brood will be so 

 far advanced that other queens cannot be reared, and the 

 colony will remain destitute until the apiarian supplies 

 the deficiency. 



I have practised this method to quite an extent, but 

 there are such evident disadvantages in it, that I cannot 

 recommend its general adoption, at least, by the inexpe- 

 rienced. Under suitable circumstances, there are benefits 

 to be derived from it by the skilful apiarian, where sev- 

 eral apiaries are located at a distance, and absolute con- 

 trol of each swarm is important, without the necessity of 

 constant supervision. Another point in its favor is, that 

 swarms can be controlled with less labor. 



SUGGESTIONS. 



Were I to have an apiary under my immediate super- 

 vision, and desire to obtain the best possible yield of 

 honey, in sections like Central New York, I should al- 



