THE beekeepers' DIRECTORY. 1 27 



ter. Not only do they build up more quickly in the spring, 

 but they are somewhat on the system of contraction without 

 specially contracting any iiive for the purpose. I am positive 

 that the 7-frame hives winter better than those haying eight 

 or more frames. Then it has sometimes seemed to me that 

 there are more bees in a 7-frame hive than in those having a 

 larger number. Of course, it is understood that the width 

 of the brood-chamber should be reduced and but one and 

 one-half inches allowed to each frame. 



ForminB nuclei. 



For many years I used a one-frame nucleus in m_y queen- 

 rearing yards and with good success. A person who desires 

 10 rear liut a few queens will find sucli a colony all that is 

 needed. They can be made in this way : Take a full hive 

 of bees and make as many small single-comb colonies as there 

 are frames of brood, giving to each one an equal portion of the 

 bees. Give the hives plenty of ventilation and place them 

 in the cellar for three days and supply each with plenty of 

 water. At the »nd of two days, towards night, give the bees 

 a chance to fly and then introduce a cell or a queen. The 

 cell can be placed between the comb and side o( the hive at 

 the top, and no cutting of the combs need be done. Let the 

 bearing come against the base of the cell. 



By confining the bees fort3'-eiglit hours, very few will re- 

 turn to the old locution when released. Wire cloth must be 

 used through which fresh air can reach the bees. As the nu- 

 cleus hives cannot be placed on the old stand, it is neces- 

 sary to give them a new location. 



The hives should be made If inches wide inside ; otherwise 

 the same size of the hive from which the frames were taken. 



Where shall partly filled sections be keptP also brood &ames filled 

 with honey P 



There are at the present time (August, 1888) several hun- 

 dred of unfilled sections in our apiary. Just where to keep 

 them puzzled us for some time ; finally they were placed on 

 strong colonies and tiered up about six sections or cases 

 high, and protected from the weather. The bees in a strong 

 colony will preserve the combs from the moth and also keep 

 the uncapped honey from souring in at least 250 sections. 



