24 HONEY BEES. 
and everything favorable, she laid a few eggs-in one or 
two combs near the centre of the cluster of bees in Jan- 
uary. Perhaps the cells occupied at that time were less 
than a dozen, all compact together in a circle, occupying 
less space than the size of a half dollar. As she pro- 
gresses, this circle is enlarged, and the cells on the oppo- 
site side of this comb are used; then the next comb and 
so on, at the same time enlarging the circle, keeping the 
brood compactly together, so that the bees, by clustering 
around it can keep up the required warmth to forward 
the brood to maturity. As the young bees hatch, the 
queen proceeds with her duties of laying eggs until 
every brood cell is occupied, and as fast as a bee matures 
and ieaves its cell, she is on hand with an egg to occupy 
the vacant place. This is kept up without cessation till 
swarming time, when the hive becomes crowded with 
bees, then, as preparation for swarming, the queen 
deposits eggs, from which the bees, by a special course 
of treatment, rear queens. When they are sealed over, 
as shown in the plates, the old queen leaves the hive 
with the first swarm to seek a new home. In about ten 
days the young queens hatch and lead out after-swarms 
—second, third, etc. When swarming is over, the 
strongest queen destroys the others, and reigns over the 
old swarm till another swarming season. This is the 
process in natural swarming; on iny plan we improve 
upon the process, as will be shown in the proper place. 
