THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL 
167 
laying. What is the cause ? Surely the food I 
the bees give her. When a desire for much j 
brood arises the queen is fed plentifully, so 
that she is able to produce such quantity of 
eggs as her natural strength will permit ; 
when no brood is desired the queen receives 
or takes such portion of food as is necessary , 
for her existence only. Perhaps the queen’s 
own instinct guides her doing as well as the 
bees theirs ; but we have proofs also that 1 
the queen is influenced by the bees. 
This article would not be complete without 
a few remarks in regard to the hive pertaining 
to the above The hive must be so con- | 
structed as to afford ample space for a good j 
but not an exceptional queen, and as such is 
capable of laying 2000 eggs per day for 20 ! 
days, there must be room for more than 
40,000 cells in the hive. The 40,000 cells 
cover 800 square inches of comb. Now, the 
Langstroth frame is inside measured 
17x8^ inches, and ten frames in each hive. 
17 x 8^ x 10 = 1445 inches, and 50 cells to an 
inch makes 1445x50 = 72250 cells. If these 
72250 cells shall be used for breeding purpose, 
for which they are designed, then the queen 
in every hive must lay at least 3500 eggs per 
day for 20 days to fill 70,000 cells, when yet 
2250 cells are left for honey. But the queens 
do not lay 3500 eggs every day regularly ; 
they lay only 2000, and consequently there 
are 645 square inches of comb, or 32,250 cells 
in reserve, fcr exceptional purposes, it seems. 
The Berlepsch hive, with ten frames, and 
which I use, measures 8J x 14 x 10 = 1155 
square inches in combs, or has 57,750 cells. 
To use 55,000 cells for brood, the queen must 
lay 2750 eggs a day for 20 days, and when 
2750 cells remain for honey and pollen, If 
she lays 2000 eggs a day 40,000 cel's are 
needed, and 17,750 can be utilized for storing 
honey, etc., and as about 1250 cells of honey 
make a pound there is, besides 40,000 cells 
for brood, space for at least 12 pounds of 
honey, while a more fertile queen has space 
afforded for nearly 8000 eggs per day, and 
the number of bees may increase to 100,000. 
But I find usually that the bees would not 
alot all cells for brood, they filling them 
with honey when it can be gathered. I have 
also stated before that too strong colonies 
are not the most profitable ones. It is 
therefore quite evident that my hive with 
67,750 cells is sufficiently large enough to be 
profitable. 
In a hive with 72,250 cells, and de- 
ducting 40,000 for brood, there is capacity 
for at least 25 pounds of honey besides the 
brood. Is it for fear that the bees might for- 
get to stop breeding before the season is 
over, and are thus provided with winter’s 
stores : or is it expected as a matter of course 
that they breed the faster the larger the 
hive ? No ! Because these stocks are no 
stronger, the swarms are no bigger than in 
the other. Let me see. A 8Sum ing it was 
so, it is reasonable to expect that there are 
at least 15,000 to 20,000 of bees on the 10th 
of August, when we will assume she 
begins to lay again.. In this case she ought to 
lay 1000 eggs per day average to the 30th of 
August, because there are more bees at hand. 
From September 1-20 she ought to lay 1500 
per day, and 2000 per day from September 
21st to October 10th, and 3000 per day from 
October ll-30th. And these are the figures 
of bees : On September 1st, 20,000 (bees 
from winter), from September 1-20 hatched 
20,000, makes 40,000 in all ; hatched Sept 21- 
October 10th, 30,000, makes 70,000 in all ; 
hatched October ll-30th, 40,000, 110,000 in 
all ; and hatched from Nov l-20th, 60,000, 
or, regardless of loss, we have now 170,000 
bees and 60,000 cells full of brood. Deduct 
the probable loss of the 20,000 wintered 
bees, and the first reared 20,000, and we have 
the number of 130,000 live bees, which weigh 
about 26 pounds. Now, who has, or had, a 
hundred, or ten, or one hive with that total? 
If you have not 51 out of 100, then it is an 
unsuccessful attempt to ai'gue that the brood- 
room, with 72,250 cells, is not too large ; al- 
though there were yet 12,250 cells left even 
then and there for other than breeding pur- 
poses. 
Wbat cannot pass unnoticed is this : Com- 
paring the two tables of possible increase, the 
one starting with 10,000 bees increased to 
100.000 to Nov 20th ; the other starting with 
20.000 increased, or is supposed to have in- 
creased, to 130,000, or shows only a surplus 
of 20,000 ; while it must be affirmed that the 
greater consumption of food would hardly be 
covered by only 20,000 bees more, as 38,000 
more larvae have been fed in the one hive 
than in the other. 
In conclusion, I recommend those facts 
and figures for your serious consideration ; 
see which comes next to your own ex- 
perience on the subject ; form your own 
opinion accordingly, and adopt the best. 
Accept the assurance that only after long 
and careful studies and experiments satis- 
factory conclusions can be drawn ; and avoid 
being led astray by mistaken surmises. 
P. W. ABRAM, Manager, 
Italian Bee Company. 
Parramatta, New South Wales. 
Heports from Colonial apiaries. 
LEGISLATION WANTED. 
The prospects for this season are very 
good, so far as honey flow, as this is the year 
for the red gum to blossom, and there will 
