100 MANUAL OF APICULTURE. 
keepers to devise methods which would save their time and avoid as 
far as possible the uncertainties connected with this feature of their 
work. Where increase is desired the question is one of considerable 
importance. In the more northern States, where the main honey yield 
comes on suddenly and is abundant for a short period only, and swarm- 
ing is confined mainly to a period of four to six weeks, or even to three 
weeks if the colonies are of pretty uniform strength, this question has 
less weight; but farther south, where the yield is more prolonged and 
the period during which swarms are liable to issue is sometimes 
extended over three or four months, it is of considerable moment, and 
the bee master who intends to multiply the number of his colonies will 
do well to follow some good system of control. 
The simplest method of artificial increase is to lift from the populous 
colony a portion of the combs, with adhering bees, and place them in 
another hive near the parent colony, taking care that the part without 
any queen should have a majority of the bees and should be on the 
old stand. If a mature queen cell is at hand to give to this part a day 
or two after the division, the new colony will soon have a laying queen, 
should all go well. But this last point will need looking after ten days 
or so later. Should a laying queen be at hand to supply to the queen- 
less portion of the divided colony, the queen found in the hive at the 
time of the division had better be left in that part of the colony which 
remains on the original stand, since the old bees will of course return 
to that spot and will not as readily receive a strange queen as will the 
removed portion of the colony which has parted with its flight bees. 
By introducing a laying queen when the division is made the deposi- 
tion of eggs will be begun a week earlier than if a cell only should be 
given. At this season of the year this will make a difference of a good 
many thousands of workers, and will also prevent the bees from clog- 
ging the brood combs with honey, as they would if left without a laying 
queen for a week or more. The supers are to be placed on this part on 
the old stand, which, having most of the flight bees, will be far better 
able to store surplus than the other portion. The plan of making the 
division nearly equal is quite objectionable in case it is followed closely 
by the main honey flow of the season, for it places neither colony in 
the best condition for immediate storing. But if only a moderate yet 
continuous honey flow, followed by a larger yield, is to be anticipated, 
both parts will have time to become populous, and the equal division, 
if done in time — that is, before the " swarming fever" has taken hold 
of the colony — will be likely to prevent swarming. 
DRIVING OR BRUSHING. 
In case, however, some immediate work is expected of either part of 
the divided colony, it is preferable to make the division in such a way 
as to secure about all of the flight bees as well as most of the young 
