MANUAL OF THE APIAEY. 31 



should be inserted just before the bees are added ; in the other case, either be- 

 fore or after. To insert the queen cell — for we are now to give one to each * 

 nucleus, so we can never form more nuclei than we have capped queen cells — 

 we first cut them out, commencing to cut on either side the base of the cell, at 

 least one-half inch distant, we must not in the least compress the cell, then cut- 

 ting up and out for two inches, then across opposite the cell. This leaves the 

 cell attached to a wedge-shaped piece of comb, whose apex is next the cell. A 

 similar cut in the middle frame of the nucleus, which'in case of the regular 

 frames, is the one containing brood, will furnish an opening to receiye the wedge 

 containing the cell. The comb should also be cut away beneath so that the cell 

 cannot be compressed. After all the nuclei have received their cells and bees, 

 they have only to be set in a shady place and watched to see that sufficient bees 

 remain. Should too many leave, give them more by removing the cover and 

 shaking a frame loaded with bees over the nucleus ; keep the opening nearly 

 closed, and cover with a quilt. The main caution in all this is to he sure not to 

 get any old queen in a nucleus. In two or three days the queens will hatch, and 

 in a week longer will have become fertilized, and that, too, by selected drones, 

 for as yet there are no other in the apiary, and the apiarist will possess from ten 

 to thirty-five queens, which will prove his best stock in trade. I cannot over- 

 estimate the advantage of ever having extra queens. By keeping empty frames 

 and empty cells in the nuclei, the bees may be kept active, yet with so few bees 

 one cannot expect very much of them. After cutting all the queen cells from 

 our old hive, we can again insert eggs and obtain another lot of cells, or if we 

 have a sufificient number, we can leave a single queen cell, and this colony will 

 soon be the happy possessor of a queen, and just as flourishing as if the even 

 tenor of its ways had not been disturbed. 



HOW TO MULTIPLY COLONIES WITH THE BEST RESULTS. 



We have already seen the evils of natural swarming, which, even though no 

 stock is too much reduced in numbers, no colony lost by not receiving prompt 

 attention, no Sunday quiet disturbed, and no time wasted in anxious watching, 

 yet, at best, the old colony is queenless for about two weeks, a state of things 

 which no apiarist can or should afford. The true policy, then, is to practice 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMISG. 



This method of procedure will divide evenly, will increase our number of col- 

 onies just to our liking, and with the least possible disturbance, will prevent loss 

 of time, and is in every respect safer and to be preferred to natural swarming. 

 I have practiced artificial swarming ever since keeping bees, and never ivithout 

 the lest results. 



HOW TO DIVIDE. 



By the process already described, we have secured a goodly number of fine 

 queens, which will be in readiness at the needed time. Now, as soon as the 

 white clover harvest is well commenced, early in June, we may commence ope- 

 rations. If we have but one colony to divide, it is well to wait till they become 

 pretty populous, but not till they swarm. Take one of our waiting hives, which 

 now holds a nucleus and fertile queen, and remove the same close along ^ide the 

 colony we wish to divide. This must only be done on warm days when the bees 

 are active, and better be done while the bees are busy, in the middle of the day. 

 Eemove the division board of the new hive, and then remove five combs, well 

 loaded with brood, and of course containing some honey, from the old colony, 

 bees and all, to the new hive. Also take the remaining frames and shake the 

 bees into the new hive. Only le sure that the queen still remains in the old hive. 



