BREEDING, ^ 79 a- 



A TOUNG QL'KKN TAKES THE PLACE OF HER MOTHER IN THE 

 OLD STOCK. 



In ordinary circumstances, when a swarm has left 

 a stock, the oldest of the young queens is ready to 

 emerge from her cell in abou? eight or nine days ; if 

 no second swarm is sent out, she will take her moth- 

 er's place, and begin to lay eggs ih about ten days, or 

 a little less. Two or three weeks is the only time 

 throughout the whole season, but what eggs can be 

 found in all prosperous hives. Whenever a copious 

 yield of honey occurs, drones are reared ; as it becomes 

 scarce, they are destroyed, 



The relative number of drones and workers that 

 exist when they are most numerous, doubtless de- 

 pends on the size of the hive, whether one in ten, or 

 one in thirty. 



When a swarm is iirst hived, the first cells are the 

 size for working ; if the hive be very small, and bees 

 numerous, it may be filled before they are fully aware 

 of it, and but few drone-cells constructed; conse- 

 quently, but few can be raised ; whereas if the hive 

 be large,: long -before it is full, considerable honey will • 

 be stored. Cells for storing honey are usually the 

 size for drones ; these will be made as soon as the 

 requisite number for -workers is provided. An abun- 

 dant yield of honey during the process of filling a 

 large hive, would therefore cause a great proportion 

 of these cells to be built — the amount of drone-brood 

 being governed by the same cause, is a strong argu- 

 ment against large ' hives, as affording room for too 

 many of these cells, where an unnecessary number ol 



