88 PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING 
queen is then released by the bees themselves 
eating away the candy block. In any case be sure 
that there is no virgin or other queen in the 
hive, or any attempt at introduction is bound 
to end in failure. 
For commercial queen raising it is usual to 
make up the nuclei in small hives, taking frames 
half the size of the standard, thus economizing 
the bees required fot the fertilizing stage. These 
small frames are-clipped together and used as 
ordinary standards during the early part of the. 
season, afterwards taking them apart when form- 
ing the nuclei. System is the secret of profes- 
sional queen raising. Everything must as far as 
possible work smoothly, and batches of cells must 
be. continually brought forward to replenish the 
nuclei from which fertile queens have been sold. 
This branch of apiculture is not for beginners, 
and should be adopted very cautiously and gradu- 
ally, extending operations as the demand increases 
and experience ripens. 
In the presence of disease, the hands should 
be well washed with carbolic soap between the 
examination of One stock and another, and the 
appliances should be disinfected with a twenty- 
five per cent. solution of carbolic acid. If your 
stocks are healthy it is a most unwise thing to 
introduce fresh blood into the apiary at the 
present time. Many thriving apiaries have been 
ruined by neglect of this precaution. 
