VARIOUS METHODS. 247 
while a queen, with an abundance of worker-comb and 
bees, may, in a single season, become the parent of a num- 
ber of prosperous families, if her colony, at the beginning 
of the swarming season, is divided into three or four parts, 
not one of them will ordinarily acquire stores enough to 
survive the Winter. 
The practical bee-keeper should remember that no drone- 
comb is built when the queen is with the builders (229), 
and that the less increase he takes, from the colonies on 
which he relies for surplus-honey, the better. 
482. With the movable-frame hive, and the improved 
system, the Apiarist, by raising his queens or queen-cells 
(514) previously (and this is very important) can take the 
increase that he wishes to make, from colonies that would 
have produced little, if any, surplus, and preserve his best col- 
onies for honey production. Let it not be understood by 
this, that we advise taking the increase from weak colonies. 
In every Apiary, there are some colonies, which, though of 
fair strength, do not become populous in time to harvest 
more than their supply. Such colonies can furnish good 
swarms, with but little help, owing to the fact that the 
greater number of their bees raised during the harvest, 
instead of before it, are too young to go to the field (162). 
If our method is followed, the colonies, which have been 
kept for honey production, can furnish help, if necessary, 
towards the end of.the season, for those of the artificial 
swarms that need it. 
To the prudent Apiarist, they are as a reserve body of 
select troops to the skillful general, a timely help, in an 
emergency. 
Remember that populous colonies, that are raising queen- 
cells, during the early part of a good honey harvest, are 
strongly inclined to swarm when the young queens hatch. 
(465. ) 
483. The colonies that are raising young queens, either 
