NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL INCREASE. 167 
have been prepared as nuclei, and each contains one or 
two combs with a queen, and a small quantity of bees. 
When the colony becomes populous, and honey is gath- 
ered freely, a comb containing sealed brood may be re- 
moved, and replaced with empty comb or foundation. 
Shake the bees from this frame in front of the hive, al- 
lowing such young bees as cling to it to remain, and 
make room for it in a nucleus by moving the division 
board farther to one side. If the weather continues favor- 
able, examine the old colony two or three days later, and 
if the last comb added is found to be filled with eggs 
and honey, another comb of brood may be removed 
and added to the nucleus. If there are several stocks 
from which increase is to be made, a comb may be taken 
from each simultaneously ; but if six or seven are thus 
taken at one time, and united to fill a hive where a queen 
and but few bees are in waiting, the queen should be first 
caged, and the old bees carried with the combs, instead 
of being shaken off as before directed, as a larger quantity 
of bees than the nucleus contains will be required to 
cover and care for so much brood. Always be sure that 
the queen is not on the combs thus removed. In a few 
days after this colony is formed, another may be made 
from the same stocks. The queen should be released in 
twenty-four hours after the swarm is made, always using 
smoke freely at such times. The advantages of this 
method are apparent. If honey-gathering should sud- 
denly cease, as sometimes happens, no partly filled hives 
will be on hand, as when all but one or two combs are 
taken from the old hive. I recall one occasion when I 
divided several colonies in May, giving each part four 
combs and four empty frames. Bad weather supervened, 
and in fact little honey was gathered during the entire 
summer, and I was obliged to unite the divided colonies 
to bring them to a proper condition for winter. 
