52 
but of course the stocks to be united should have been brought 
together (182) previously. 
When the stocks for extracting’ are ready for supering (108), or 
better, a few days before they are ready for 
120. Placing supering, treat each hive that is to be 
Doubling-box, | worked for extracting as follows: Remove 
the hive from its stand, andif spring cleaning 
(186) has not been carried out, place a clean empty hive on the 
stand, uncovering it: this hive need not necessarily be capable 
of carrying more than 10 or 11 frames. Place the doubling-box 
(81) of the new hive on a sheet or board next the old hive. Now 
transfer eight frames from the brood-chamber of the old hive to 
the doubling-box of the new hive, including all frames containing 
honey, and as many frames containing brood as can be spared, 
having regard to the strength of the hive, carrying with the 
frames all bees onthem except the queen : it is advisable to avoid 
transferring frames containing an excess of pollen; then transfer 
all the remaining frames, say three to six in number, to the body- 
box of the extracting hive, and make sure that the queen is on one 
of the frames in the body-box. If there are not six frames avail- 
able for transferring as directed, add to the frames in the body- 
box of the extracting hive as many frames of brood withdrawn 
from other stocks as can be spared to bring the number of 
frames in the body-box up to six, or, if brood frames cannct be 
spared from other stocks, substitute for them frames of founda- 
tion, which should be alternated with the frames of brood in the 
body-box : it would be injudicious to commence with more than 
six frames in the body-box, as to do so would be likely to cause 
brood to be chilled owing to insufficiency of bees to cover 
the brood, but eventually the number of frames in the body- 
box should be increased to ten; fit an extension board (95) to 
prevent the bees passing from the doubling-box to the space 
behind the dummy; next cover the frames in the body-box 
with zine or wire excluder (48), and over this fit the doubling- 
box in position on the body-box ; then pack all round and over 
the doubling-box with woollen or other cloths, as when packing 
section crates (111). The procedure above described is 
that which should be adopted when the stock to be worked for 
extracting has not been transferred to a clean hive (186). If, 
however, the stock has already been transferred to a clean 
hive, it will, of course, only be necessary to remove frames from 
the body-box to the doubling-box, and to place the proper 
number of frames in the body-box, as above directed. When 
brood frames are transferred from other hives to the ex- 
tracting hive, all bees should be brushed off them before their 
removal. 
All brood frames in the doubling-box should be placed to- 
gether in the centre ; those in the body-box should be alternated 
with any frames of foundation which it may be necessary to 
place therein. 
