2Q2 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
commence to hatch, a frame of fresh, bright comb 
or foundation should be placed in the centre of its 
brood-nest. In three or four days, this will be well 
furnished with eggs; but, in any case, we must wait 
until the earliest-laid begin to hatch, the tiniest 
specks of food at the bottom of the cells being then 
alone discoverable. We now remove the frame to 
the hive in which the queen-cells are to be built out. 
We shall get the latter more conveniently arranged 
along the edge of the comb if we practically divide 
it, by placing a horizontal bar across the centre of the 
frame, and provide the upper and lower parts with 
foundation, so that about an inch space is left between 
each piece and the rail beneath. This cross-rail should 
be i|-in. nearly in width, to prevent the combs oppo- 
site to it being unduly built out. Some recommend 
cutting one or two holes, perhaps lin. long and qin. 
wide, in the comb itself with the aforesaid object. 
We now remove the queen, and all eggs and un- 
capped brood, from some strong colony, preferably 
leaving all the bees, and using the queen to dis- 
place some old or undesirable one, and distributing 
the brood amongst other stocks, where it will 
be of most advantage. If the queen must be 
retained, a nucleus can be formed by giving one 
or tw’O combs of brood and one or two of store. 
Inserting the comb of selected eggs, and care- 
fully feeding the stock if need be, secures, it will 
be seen, all the coveted conditions, and the queen- 
less colony will immediately start royal cells, in 
numbers varying with its strength and race — Cyprians 
and Syrians sometimes commencing four or five 
