PROFITS OF BEE KEEPING. 75 
exceedingly prolific Hybrid queen, a mixture of Italian 
and Native blood. I commenced early in the spring to 
feed this stock lightly but regularly, every day at even- 
ing. I fed about one-half pound of feed per day, until 
a few days before the flowers were in bloom profusely. 
This was done to encourage breeding. Very early in 
the spring they were fed corn and rye meal, as directed 
in this work. 
For a few days before the flowers were blooming pro- 
fusely, I fed liberally—in fact, gave them all I could 
possibly induce them to take up; the object being to get 
the store comb in the body of the hive, not occupied with 
brood, completely filled with honey. The glass boxes 
twenty-six in number (with the Feeder,) each holding 
about four and one-half pounds of honey, were arranged 
in connection with the hive (sides and tops,) several 
weeks prior to the appearance of the flowers, that the 
bees might become accustomed to them, and the more 
readily enter them and commence work. When I 
ceased feeding (which was on the appearance of the 
flowers yielding a good supply of honey,) the boxes were 
filled with bees, and comb-building had commenced. 
The hive was at this time filled to overflowing with bees, 
and the combs had brood in all stages of growth, from 
the egg to the perfect bee. I had taken the precaution 
to cut out nearly all the drone comb, and fit in its place 
worker comb, so I had but very few drones to consume 
the honey. I had also arranged so as to have no increase 
