192 A Modern Bee-Farm 



I consider the most satisfactory way and the more profit-, 

 able to the purchaser when wishing to establish a stock of any 

 new variety is to get them in 



Three-frame Nuclei ; 



but I do not mean such as are often sent out, and as some I 

 have myself received from abroad with- not enough bees to 

 cover one of the frames ; but such as can be built upwith 

 little trouble by the receiver. 



To make up a fair nucleus of three frames, take from a 

 strong hive all the bees from one comb, and one comb full of 

 brood, where young bees are rapidly coming forth, with all the 

 bees thereon. Place the brood comb at the centre of the small 

 hive, the other bees having first been shaken in, and look up a 

 comb partly stored to place on each side. Screw the lid down 

 after inserting the queen ; place wire nails through into the' 

 frames at each end, and invert as for full stocks. Strong 

 combs should be selected, and sufficient ventilation given 

 without danger of chilling the brood. 



The frame of hatching brood will presently give enough 

 bees to cover three combs, so that with the other bees a queen 

 gets a good start, though if the apiarist has them to spare, 

 another comb of brood in like condition added every seven 

 days will do wonders in buUding up a full colony. 



Standard Colonies 



of definite quantities are now offered for sale, and are far more 

 reliable than stocks bought in the old 'hap-hazard' kind of 

 way. For so many combs bffered, one may rely upon having 

 that number covered with bees, and all except the two outer 

 combs pretty well filled with brood. Thus a six-frame stock 

 should have four frames of brood, an eight-frame six of brood, 

 and so on. 



