and its Economic Management. 197 



CHAPTER XIII. 

 THE ART OF PLUMPING; 



OR, RAPID INCREASE IN SPRING. 



^I^ NEW term applied in bee-culture by my pamphlet 



U^ of March, 1894, was that of " Plumping," a process 



whereby one or more colonies of bees can be 



supplied at once with a large complement of brood in 



spring ; nuclei can be helped during the summer, or 



backward stocks strengthened when autumn arrives. 



It may surprise my readers to know that the most 

 prolific queen ever reared can be worn out in six months. 



How is it Done ? 



As soon as natural pollen comes in freely, a stock is 

 carefully arranged so that it completely crowds three 

 combs. Two of the combs have plenty of young hatching 

 from large patches of brood, while the central frame has a 

 part or whole sheet of foundation, or a guide only if it be 

 early in the season. 



This central comb is built out so rapidly that every two 

 or three days it can be removed, with eggs in every cell, 



