FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 115 



frame, I can count that the bees will continue this arrange- 

 ment, only in some cases there will be brood found in the out- 

 side frame. So in any examination after the first, I commence 

 at the near side; and when I come to the first frame of brood, 

 I need go no further, for I know that the brood-nest will oc- 

 cupy all the rest of the combs except the outside one. If they 

 have not plenty of feed, of course it can be given, although it 

 may not_ often be necessary to give stores the second time, for 

 m this locality they can get good supplies from fruit bloom. I 



Fig. 30 — Comb Resting Diagonally in Hive. 



suppose they can forage upon 10,000 fruit trees without going 

 a mile. 



If, however, the first frame of brood I come to contains 

 only sealed brood, I must look further to see whether they have 

 eggs or \ery young brood, for it is possible they may have be- 

 come queenless. If eggs are plentiful, but no unsealed brood, 

 I loiow that they have a young queen which has commenced 

 laying, and I must find her and clip her wings. 



If there is nothing but sealed brood, and no eggs, I am not 

 sure whether they have a queen or not, and it is not safe to 

 give them one till I do know, so I give them, from another col- 



