THE BR00D-REARIXG CYCLE OF THE HONEYBEE 15 
1921. A recovery in the rate of brood rearing was made subse- 
quently, but at a time when factors associated normally with the 
major period were making themselves felt. It follows that the 
maximum amount of brood rearing in 1921 was not purely the re- 
sult of the initial seasonal tendency. 
In 1922, on the other hand, there was a late spring, inclement 
weather in early March causing a temporary shortage of pollen in the 
hive. These conditions restricted somewhat the initial seasonal tend- 
ency, as is clearly evidenced in the brood curve for that month. In 
spite of this beginning, April weather proved so favorable that by the 
end of the month the principal sources of nectar were as far advanced 
as in the previous year, and brood-rearing activity became so pro- 
nounced that the maximum for the season was practically reached 
before factors peculiar to the major period became dominant. In 
fact, the maximum in sealed brood in 1922 was attained in advance 
of the tuliptree honey flow, and about two weeks in advance of that 
of the previous year. 
THE MAJOR PERIOD, COLONY NO. 4 
In 1922, the more typical year, the beginning of the major phase 
was marked by a maintenance of brood rearing at the highest rate 
of the year (fig. 17). Since the maximum had been attained just 
before the locust bloom, the high rate was kept up for a couple of 
weeks. During the week of maximum sealed brood, brood rearing 
was undoubtedly still being carried on under the impulse of the 
intitial tendency, but influencing factors characteristic of the major 
period were also becoming evident. The week of the maximum 
marked the point of division between the initial seasonal tendency 
and the major period. Nectar subsequently coming in from the 
tuliptree tended to restrict the queen, and after this honey flow 
there was a dearth of nectar until the middle of September. During 
June, however, there was an appreciable amount of incoming pollen, 
and in August there was an intense pollen yield. As a consequence 
the decline in brood-rearing activity which set in with the beginning 
of the tuliptree honey flow and extended until the intense pollen 
yield in August was broken by a slight increase in June, in response 
to the pollen yield. The increase in August, on the other hand, was 
very pronounced. This was followed by a decrease until incoming 
nectar, chiefly from goldenrod, made itself felt by another slight in- 
crease in the orood area. 
In the main, brood-rearing activity during the major period of 
1921 was very similar to that for 1922. In the month of June, 1921, 
the increase in brood rearing was more pronounced, for two reasons. 
In the first place, instead of a gradual decline following the peak, as 
in 1922, a sharp decrease occurred in 1921. This happened Decause 
just prior to the honey flow the queen had ascended to the third 
hive oody to lay, there being already at that time an extensive 
brood area in this hive body. Incoming nectar, however, so quickly 
cut down the number of cells available for the queen as to force her 
soon to return to the second hive body. Here, too, so many available 
cells within the brood area proper had been filled with nectar during 
her absence that the total number of cells made empty either by 
emerging bees or by consumption of stores did not suffice during that 
week to permit keeping up her former rate. During the next two 
