44 -^ Modem Bee-Farm 



the following season : keep her till another season and her colony 

 will be hardly second-rate. 



To be prolific a queen must not simply keep pace with her 

 workers while building up in preparation for the season, but must 

 actually force them to make room for her. Such queens are to be 

 had, and with them no "brood spreading" by the apiarist is 

 necessary. 



A well-developed queen is more hardy and energetic than a 

 smaller one ; and, as a rule, will get mated in risky weather when 

 twenty others fail to meet a drone. 



The finest queens are obtained from young mothers. A queen 

 is in her highest state of excellence soon after she commences to 

 lay, and should be used for breeding, if from stock of known 

 excellence, as soon as it is found by her hatching bees that she 

 has mated correctly. 



Queens cannot be too Prolific. 



I am aware that there are some bee-keepers who consider that 

 a queen can be too prolific. It may be so with their management, 

 but as a simple matter of fact the more prolific the queen, the 

 larger the surplus stored, but one's management must provide 

 that she does her best before the season opens ; thereafter she 

 will simply keep pace with the wear and tear upon the life of the 

 workers. 



It will be asked, "And how are we to provide that the best 

 powers of the queen are to be used up before actual storage com-' 

 mences ? " Some important matters having reference thereto I 

 have already given ; but one way of doing this is to unite two or 

 more colonies, making them very strong in the Autumn wherever 

 it is found stocks are at all under full strength. Another plan is 

 to unite about ten days before the season is expected to open. 



As a rule, especially where no honey is obtained after July, the 

 best results are obtained by preventing the issue of swarms ; but 

 nevertheless unless 



