70 MANUAL OF APICULTURE. 
the greater part of each clear day, the work of the queen may be 
inspected. Should the comb having the largest area of brood in it 
be toward one side of the hive it is best to locate it as near the center 
as may be, placing on either side successively those combs having 
smaller circles of brood and on each side of these the combs containing 
no brood, but well stored with pollen, while those having honey only 
will come still outside of these. The brood nest will then have au 
opportunity to develop equally in all directions. Empty combs are of 
little use at this time outside of the brood nest as thus arranged, and 
should be replaced by combs of honey if the latter is needed, or removed 
altogether. If the combs are well crowded with bees and the queen 
shows by her regular and compact placing of the brood, as well as by 
the quantity she seems to have, that she is vigorous and thus capable 
of accomplishing more than any ordinary brood nest will require of her 
at this time of the year, a frame filled with worker comb may be slipped 
into the center of the brood nest. This will be taken possession of 
immediately by the bees, cleaned and warmed up, whereupon the queen 
will soon have it filled with eggs. From time to time other combs may 
be added in the same manner. If cautiously and judiciously followed 
this plan, supplemented by liberal stores, will increase the brood area 
and eventually the population of the hive. But the utmost caution is 
needed, for if done too early cool weather may cause the bees to cluster 
more closely and result in the chilling of some part of the brood which 
has thus been spread. The very object sought is not only missed, but 
the loss of brood will prove a serious setback to the colony. The escape 
of any of the warmth generated by the bees, as also sudden changes 
in the weather, should be guarded against. Warm covering above and 
outer protection are therefore absolute necessities if the best results are 
to be attained. With favorable weather for the development of brood 
it is certain that stimulative feeding, if made necessary by the fact that 
the natural honey resources of the country will not alone bring the 
strength of the colony fairly up to the desired standard by the opening 
of the harvest, is to be begun six to seven weeks before the opening of 
the honey flow from which surplus is to be expected. 
If, however, this honey flow comes so early that it is likely to be pre- 
ceded by weather unfavorable to the development of brood, it will be 
necessary to allow for this by beginning the stimulation even earlier, so 
that it may be done more gradually, and the greatest care will have to 
be taken to retain all the heat of the brood nest. Should the main flow 
be preceded by a lighter one, especially if the latter comes some weeks 
oefore the chief harvest, it may be important to watch the brood nest 
closely lest it becomes clogged with honey to the exclusion of brood, 
inclining the bees not to enter surplus receptacles placed above and 
causing the colony to be weak in numbers later in the season. This 
state of affairs can be easily avoided by the timely use of the honey 
extractor, since the brood combs, emptied of the honey which the 
