and Us Economic Management. 219 



two at a time in the centre of the brood nest. The 

 number of frames to be allowed for breeding will depend 

 upon the approach or return of the honey-flow, and it may 

 even be necessary to remove some of the least filled with 

 brood, where comb-honey is to be worked for, crowding 

 the bees on to eight or nine of the combs most densely 

 packed with brood. I formerly practised 



Contraction 



both in summer and winter, but with the institution of my 

 non-swarming system it is found unnecessary either for 

 summer or winter. When increasing, however, it is the 

 only way to make the most of the honey harvest, by thus 

 curtailing the powers of the queen in less populous 

 colonies. Treatment for either comb or extracted honey 

 with divided stocks will be as before mentioned ; but 

 where 



Natural Increase 



is permitted, the plan of proceeding will be somewhat 

 different. Constant care and attention is needed where 

 swarming is allowed, and if due precautions are not taken 

 the prospects of a good harvest are ruined. In the first 

 place we will consider my own method of 



Swarming: Without Increase. 



In the earlier days of the British Bee Journal, when its 

 dimensions had not been crowded down to its present 

 limits, and evrey page bore the impress of practical 

 demonstration, I was on one occasion challenged to show 

 how swarming could be carried out without allowing 

 increase of stocks. I immediately accepted the challenge, 

 and gave my plan of swarming without increase ; 



