300 A Modem Bee Farm 



" Plumping," there are several ways of securing all 

 worker combs. First by shifting the hive to a new stand, 

 and so getting rid of the older workers, making a nucleus 

 of them. This is almost better than giving a young 

 queen, as 



Young bees may always be relied upon 



to produce only worker combs, no matter what age the 

 queen is. Otherwise full sheets of foundation may be 

 given as fast as others are filled with eggs. Old combs 

 will never give the same amount of brood, as so many- 

 cells are immediately filled with food ; but while comb" 

 building is the order of the day, the queen is also under 

 a greater stimulus to do her best. 



Where several stocks are forced for comb-building and 

 brood production each stock that is " Plumped " in rotation 

 may be given a full complement of brood within a few 

 days. The bees that are present on the first return of 

 spring are usually half gone before a good brood nest is 

 developed. By the new process the brood nest is 

 extended before many of the old bees fly in earnest. It 

 must be remembered that 



lirood Makes Brood ; 



and therefore, the forced lots, rearing the brood for 

 " Plumping " other colonies must always retain the two 

 combs of brood at either side of the new comb being 

 built : the work must not begin until the two combs can 

 be secured with hatching brood, and, moreover, the desired 

 process of rapid work is always most satisfactory when 

 only the three frames in all are used. 



Alternative Operations. 



One or other of the first selected brood combs may 

 become overloaded with store. In that case an occasional 



