206 * 1>EUXI>'G. 



crifice them tlian the greater number left by her mother, 

 which have coBsumed their portion of food, and have been 

 sealed up by the bees. Should this operation be postponed 

 more than three weeks, the young queen wiU so fill the 

 combs again, as to involve a serious loss. Therefore, I 

 wish to urge the necessity of attention to this point at the 

 proper season. If you think it unimportant to mark the 

 date of your first sWarms, for the purposes mentioned else- 

 where, it will be found very convenient here, for those 

 that need pruning. 



It is recommended by some, to take out only a part, say 

 one-thii-d or half of the combs in a season, thereby taking 

 two or three years to renew them. This is advisable only 

 when the family is very small. As this space made by 

 j)runing cannot be filled without wax and labor, our sur- 

 plus honey will be proportionate to its extent. Suppose 

 we take out half the old combs, and get half a yield of 

 surplus honey this year, and do the same next, or 

 complete the operation, and have none this year, and a full 

 yield next. What is the difiference? There is none 

 in regard to honey, but some in trouble, and it is in 

 favor of performing the whole operation at once. Besides 

 the advantage of saving a large brood by pruning at this 

 season, such hives will usually refill before fall, and are 

 much better for wintering, than if done later in the season. 

 In the latter case, much brood will be wasted, and a large 

 space will be unoccupied with combs during the winter. 

 But few combs can then be made, and those few must be at 

 the expense of their winter stores, unless we resort to 

 feeding. These objections apply with still greater force to 

 pruning in March or April. The loss of brood is of much 

 more consequence then, than in mid-summer, or even later; 

 and a space to be filled with combs is a serious disadvan- 

 tage. It is important that the bees should devote their 

 whole attention to rearing brood, and be ready to cast 



