78 BREEDING. 



days ihej are gone, and it is a hard matter to tell what 

 has become of them, at least the majority. If the 

 hive in September is well supplied with honey, a por- 

 tion of the drones have a longer lease of life given 

 them ; I have seen them as late as December. In 

 some seasons, when the best hives are poorly supplied 

 with stores, the ensuing spring the bees will rear no 

 drones, until the flowers yield a good supply. I 'have 

 known one or two years in which no drones appeared 

 before the last of June ; at other times, thousands are- 

 matured by the first of May. 



OLD QUEEN LEAVES WITH THE FIRST SWARM. 



The old queen leaves with the first swarm ; as soon 

 as cells are ready in the new hive she will deposit her- 

 eggs in them, at first for workers ; the number perfect- 

 ed will correspond with the supply of honey and size 

 of the swarm. When the supply fails before leaving 

 the old stock, she remains there, and continues laying. 

 throughout the season ; but the bees matured after 

 the 20th of July (in this section) are not more than 

 siifficient to keep the number good. As many die, or 

 are lost during their excursions, as the young ones, 

 will replace ; in fact, they often lose rather than gain; 

 so that by the next spring, a hive that has cast no 

 swarm, is no better for a stock than one from which a 

 swarm has issued. We are apt to be deceived by bees 

 clustering outside, towards the latter end of the sea- 

 son, and suppose it hardly possible for them all to 

 get in, when it may be caused by hot weather, iiill 

 stores, &C. 



