BREEDING. 85 



Btituted that will throw more light on this subject ? 

 Thtf old hypothesis of limiting drone-egg laying to 

 two or three periods, is evidently at fault. 



TWO SIDES OF THE QUESTION. 



If we suppose that the eggs are all alike, and the 

 subsequent treatment makes either workers, drones, or 

 queens, and look to analogy for support, we shall 

 find much against, as well as for it. For instance, we 

 find in almost every department of animated nature, 

 that the sex of the germ of a future being is decided 

 before being separated from the parent, as the eggs 

 of fowls, &c. Another fact, some queens (averaging 

 one in sixty or eighty) deposit eggs that produce 

 only drones,* whether in worker or drone-cells, prov- 

 ing that sex is decided in this case beyond controversy. 



* I have had several such. It made no difference whether the eggs 

 were in the worker-cells or drone-cells, the brood was all drones. When 

 in the worker-cells, (and the majority was there,) they required to he 

 lengthened about one-third. In an occurrence of this kind, .the col- 

 Qny of workers will rapidly diminish in number, until too few are 

 left to protect the combs from the moth. It occurs most frequently in 

 spring,.but I once had a case the last of summer. The flrat indications 

 are an unusual number of caps, or covers of cells, being under and 

 about the hive ; the workers, instead of increasing, grow less in num- 

 ber. When you fear this state of things, make a thorough examina- 

 tion, blow under the hive some tobacco smoke, as directed in pruning, 

 invert the hive, part the combs till you can see the brood ; if the worker- 

 cells contain drones, they are rea-dily perceived, as they project beyond, 

 the usual even surface, being very irregular, here and there a few, or 

 perhaps hut one sticking out. The worker-brood, when in their own 

 cells, form nearly an even surface ; so of the drones. The only remedy 

 that I have found is to destroy this queen, and substitute another, which 

 can be obtained in the swarming season, or in the fall, better than at 

 other times. To find the queen, paralyze with puff-ball, &c. For direc- 

 tions eee fall management. ' •■ ( 



