246 A Modern Bee-Farm 



month ; that all may be in readiness, as a flow of honey is 

 liable to occur any time after May ist, or even earlier. In 



Preparing Stocks for Comb-honey 



it has been shewn under General Management that the 

 brood nest should not be increased beyond the capacity 

 of a ten or eleven-frame chamber of combs. The hive 

 may appear overcrowded, but while you are waiting for 

 the honey flow, put on an upper storey and work out 

 foundation for insetting in the sections. It may be asked 



Why the Brood Nest should not be Extended 



at this time ? As a matter of fact, having already a com- 

 plete brood nest, every day passing without an extension 

 adds a balance of power to the future working force of the 

 hive. Extend the brood nest and you not only require a 

 greater proportion of the stores to feed the young, but a 

 larger number of the population is needed to attend to 

 the enlarged nursery instead of adding to the stores. 



It should be distinctly understood that it is not always 

 the larger population which gives the heaviest surplus, as 

 it is possible for the hive of medium strength to send out 

 a much larger gathering force. These are delicate points 

 which require careful consideration but which are too often 

 overlooked. An exception will be made where the plan 

 of uniting is carried out prior to the honey flow, when for 

 such doubled colonies two or more brood chambers must 

 be allowed for the excess of numbers. In due time the 



First Honey Flow 



is upon us ; weather steady, and temperature from 70" to 

 So** in the shade, with plenty of forage in all directions. 

 Our sections are all ready on the hives, providing not less 

 than 40 lbs. capacity with combs all drawn out ; or 20 lbs. 



