and its Economic Management. I5S 



However, when a queen gets much beyond fourteen days, 

 it requires the most sunny and calm day to enable her to be- 

 come successful in securing a mate, though such days are, of 

 course, always desirable. Young and vigorous queens will 

 occasionally fly at an opportune moment, and become suc- 

 cessful in somewhat windy weather. But the temperature 

 must not be low. It is only under a high tempera;ture with 

 little or no wind that general success is attained where queens 

 are reared on a large scale. 



Nuclei should be constantly renovated by the addition of 

 fresh brood, whether they are to be soon united or not ; and 

 they should always be in possession of stored combs, in pre- 

 ference to any form of daily feeding, other than Simmins' dry 



feeders. 



Eggs for Queen Raising 



are more readily obtained from our select queens if the latter 



are in small colonies, having not more than four combs well 



crowded with bees, and -protected at the sides with chaff 



•dummies. When a comb of eggs is removed, at the same 



. operation insert another, empty, or a sheet of foundation if not 



too late in the season. Continue the process every two or 



three days if many queens are being reared, with a number of 



such hives to keep up the supply ; and where it is likely that 



too much honey will be brought in to hinder the queen by the 



little lot getting strong, then carry the queen and two or three 



of the best combs of brood and accompanying bees to a new 



situation, thus providing her with attendants mostly too young 



to store a surplus. Use the remainder as a nucleus, or add to 



another hive. 



Drones 



-are to be produced by stock which has shown good qualities 

 and correct colour (if pure) for two generations back, as the 

 ■colony directly producing them does not impart to our drones 

 its own characteristics. For their good qualities we must look 

 to the grand-parent, and the colony producing the drone which 



