190 SUMMEB. 



and remain long enough, will vary vritli different 

 stocks, and many times do not happen at all through 

 the season, with some. 



These causes then appear to produce a few queen -cells,^ 

 generally begun before the hive is filled, (sometimes 

 when only half full, but usually remain as rudiments 

 till the next year, when the foregoing conditions of 

 the stock may require their use). 



STATE OF queen's CELL WHEN USED. 



They are about half finished, when they receive the 

 eggs ; as these eggs hatch into larvae, others are begun, 

 and receive eggs at different periods for several days 

 later. The number of such cells seem to be governed 

 by the prosperity of the bees ; when the family is nu- 

 merous, and the yield of honey abundant, they may 

 amount to twenty, at other times perhaps not more 

 than two or three ; although several such cells may 

 remain empty. I have already said that a failure, (or 

 even a partial one), in the yield of honey at any time 

 from the depositing of royal eggs till the sealing of . 

 the cells, (which is about ten days), would be likely 

 to bring about their destruction. Even after being 

 sealed, I have found a few instances where they were 

 destroyed. 



STATE WHEN SWARMS ISSUE. 



But when there is nothing precarious about the 

 honey, the sealing of these cells is the time to expect 

 the first swarm, which will generally issue the first 

 fair day after one or more are finished. I never missed 



