MFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 111 



tive into one, and the united colony seemed to do no better than 

 one left separate. About all I try to do is to keep the queen 

 alive till I find some queenless colony with which to unite them. 



One year I took the queens of five or six very weak colo- 

 nies, put them in small cages, and laid the cages on top of the 

 frames, under the quilt, over a strong colony. When I nest 

 overhauled this colony, its queen was gone, probably killed by 

 the bees on account of the presence of other queens, but the 

 queens in the cages were in good condition, and became after- 

 ward the mothers of fine colonies. I had put two of the queens 

 in one cage, as I was short of cages, and did not attach much 

 value to the queens, and these two did as well as the others. Of 

 course this was an exception to the general rule. 



In my locality I do not think the colonies can ever be- 

 come strong and populous too early in the season. Theoretical- 

 ly, at least, then, I see that every colony as soon as it comes out 

 of the cellar has plent5' of stores to last it for some time. I 

 know this is a very indefinite amount. Perhaps I might make 

 it more definite by saying, for an ordinary colony, the equiva- 

 lent of two full combs of stores. If they do not have so much 

 1 supply them. I formerly thought it desirable to have any 

 feed given them as far as possible from the brood-nest, so that 

 they might have the feeling that they were accumulating from 

 abroad. Further observation makes me place less confidence 

 in this. 



STRONG VERSUS WEAK COLONIES. 



I think that with increasing years I have an increasing 

 aversion to wea'k colonies. At the time of the honey harvest 

 40,000 bees in two colonies will not begin to store as much as 

 the same bees would do if they were all in one colony. Of 

 course you have thought of that, but possibly you have not 

 noticed so clearly that something like the same rule holds good 

 about building up in spring. Take a colony that comes out of 

 the cellar with only enough bees to cover two combs. It will 

 remain at a standstill for a long time. Indeed, it may not 

 stand still, but may become weaker, so that it will not have as 

 much brood June 1 as May 1, with a possibility of pegging out 

 altogether before the harvest opens, On the other hand a col- 



