QUEENS. 129 
damp wing, and take to the old position on the stand. 
Empty the bees from the box, in front of the hive, and 
see that all enter. Contract the entrance, and in all ways 
prevent robbing. A little honey left on the outside might 
excite plundering, and the colony is not now in good con- 
dition to repel attacks. If they are strong, the bees will 
soon join all the parts, and fasten all the combs securely 
to the frames, when the sticks may be taken off and laid 
away for future use. For their first experiments in this 
direction beginners should select a hive with old, tough, 
and straight combs, 
Capt. Hetherington prepares his frames for transfer- 
ring, by boring holes through all four sides of the frame, 
about once in two inches, and fastens the combs in place, 
by sticking the thorns of the red haw through these holes 
into the edges of the comb. As these are very tough, and 
do not need to be removed, they make the comb very 
firm, and less liable to break out when handling. He has 
practised this method very extensively, and considers it 
superior to any other. It is desirable to. find the queen, 
if possible, when driving the bees into the box, and cage 
her. After the transferring is completed, place the cage 
on top of, or between the combs, when the bees will moze 
readily gather among them. When they become i 
she may be liberated. 
CHAPTER VIII. 
QUEENS. 
IMPORTANCE OF SELECTING GOOD STOCK. 
The prosperity of every swarm depends very largely upon 
the queen. This being true, too much importance cannot 
be attached to the necessity of keeping each hive supplied 
with a good queen. In all other branches of stock-raising 
