260 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



along to a fair colony, although it had to be fed up for 

 winter. But I would not want to count on starting for 

 a full colony so late as that in all seasons, especially if the 

 frames of brood were not the very best. 



INCREASE WITHOUT NUCLEI. 



These different ways are all on the nucleus plan. 

 Just one more way I want to mention, and it is not on 

 the nucleus plan, but if queens are on hand I think I like 

 it as well as any. We take four colonies, and the first 

 thing is to have all four strong before anything is done. 

 Then we take an empty hive-body without any bottom- 

 board, and into it we put two frames of brood without 

 any bees from the first hive (a few bees will do no 

 harm), the same from the second, and the same from the 

 third, filling out the hive with two empty combs or combs 

 with some honey. Upon one of the central frames we 

 nail a provisioned introducing cage containing a laying 

 queen. Upon the fourth hive we put a queen-excluder, 

 and on this we set our hive full of brood, and cover it 

 up. Three or four hours later, or twenty-four hours 

 later if more convenient, this hive is set upon a bottom- 

 board on a new stand, and the work is all done. A way 

 that is easier, and nearly as good, is to set the hive with 

 the six brood immediately in place of the fourth hive, 

 setting the fourth hive in a new place. The returning 

 field-bees will populate the new hive. Ten days or two 

 weeks later the performance may be repeated if the sea- 

 son is prosperous, and this may be repeated a number of 

 times. Of course empty combs or foundation will take 

 the place of the two frames of brood drawn from each 

 hive. An advantage of this plan is that it makes a 

 strong colony at once, and there is no danger of being 

 caught with a number of weaklings on a sudden cessa- 

 tion of the harvest. Each new colony formed will in 



