258 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



of empty combs set on the stand. The queen was found and 

 put in the hive of empty combs, which by this time had a good 

 many bees returning from the field. The queen of No. 237 was 

 considered the best in the apiary. No. 237 was now set on the 

 stand of No. 235, and No. 235 was set in a new place. Please 

 understand that the stand holds its number, and that when the 

 hive that was on stand 237 is moved as stated it is now No. 

 235. We now have on 237 a hive full of brood and bees with- 

 out any queen ; and while it will lose the old flying force it had 

 it will get the flying force that belongs to its present stand. 

 The colony that was moved from 235 will, of course, lose its 

 flying force, and will take its time to recuperate. 



The bees on these two stands — 235 and 237 — ^were the 

 principal actors throughout the season, the other colonies in 

 the apiary merely serving as feeders from which to draw brood 

 from time to time. On 237 were left the hive of empty combs, 

 the queen, and the constantly increasing flying force. We now 

 go to the other colonies and draw from them what brood they 

 can spare without depleting them unwisely, leaving foundation 

 in place of the brood. Looking at the record I find this was 

 only four frames of brood. No bees were taken with this 

 brood. An upper story was put on 237 and these four frames 

 of brood put in it with four empty combs. Of course the 

 queen and bees would soon be up in this upper story. 



Matters were left in this shape for nine days, the plan be- 

 ing to visit the apiary every nine days throughout the summer. 

 A stormy day, however, might extend the time to ten days, or 

 Sunday coming on the ninth day might shorten the time to 

 eight days. 



At the expiration of the nine days, June 21, we returned. 

 We took the brood with queen-cells and all bees from 235, and 

 formed two nuclei. Just why we did not start three I don't 

 know, for usually we started a nucleus with two frames of 

 brood, and we must have had more than four frames of brood. 

 No measures were taken to make these bees stay where they 

 were put; it was not necessary with such queenless bees. 



Then we took the upper story of 237, with all its brood 

 and bees, and put it on 235, taking out the queen and putting 

 her back in the lower story on 237. Then we looked to see 



