270 QUEEN REARING, 
ously against impentling ruin, and never give up until their 
condition is absolutely desperate. We once knew a colony 
of bees not large enough to cover a piece of comb four inches 
square, to attempt to raise a queen. For two whole weeks, 
they adhered to their forlorn hope; until at last, when they 
had dwindled to less than one-half their original number, 
their new queen emerged, but with wings so imperfect that 
she could not fly. Crippled as she was, they treated her 
with almost as much respect as though she were fertile. In 
506690060010.0000006 
a2aea SOCCI0 10 000.908 
Fig. 920. (From Alley.) 
the course of a week more, scarce a dozen workers remained 
in the hive, and a few days later, the queen was gone, and 
only a few disconsolate wretches were left on the comb. 
528. Mr. Alley, who raises queens by the thousand, has 
published his method of queen-rearing. His queens are all 
taised in very small nuclei which he calls miniature hives. 
From a light-colored worker-comb filled with hatching eggs, 
he cuts strips with a sharp knife, as in fig. 92d. 
“After the comb has been cut up, lay the pieces flat upon a board 
or table. and cut the cells on one side down to within one fourth 
of an inch of the foundation or septum, as seen in fig. 93bwhich 
represents the comb ready to place in position for cell build- 
ing. While engaged in this work, keep a lighted lamp near 
~ 
Fig. 93b. (From Alley.) 
at hand, with which to heat the knife, or the cells will be 
badly jammed * * * * 
