THE APIARY. 
415 
it is, undoubtedly, capable of accomplishing great 
things, it may, if prematurely or excessively practised, 
cause nothing but loss. The learner should exercise 
the greatest caution, and make haste slowly, and, 
instead of taking an empty frame and inserting it 
in the centre of the brood-nest, he should endeavour 
to get the frames already in the hive filled with 
brood. If the nest is established towards the end 
of the combs, turning the alternate ones will “ spread 
sufficiently for a week at least. If, at the next 
examination, the bees have responded to our invitation 
to enlarge their borders, we must not conclude that 
they are able to bear a still greater increase. 
The practised eye will determxine at once, but the 
novice must ask whether young bees are hatching 
out in any numbers, for our interference, for three 
weeks after spreading the brood has been commenced, 
will rather tend to diminish the working population, 
by increasing the death-rate through forced marches. 
Brood and store (as much of the former and as little 
of the latter as possible) filling the combs, new ones 
may be introduced, and that as frequently as the bees 
are able to nurture the grubs the deposited eggs 
produce ; for it is quite possible, by this plan, to 
get eggs laid which are never converted into bees, 
and, if we are going at so high a pace that the bees 
cannot keep up with us, we shall find that all eggs, 
and possibly young larvae, turned to the outside of 
the nest, disappear. It is, of course, understood that 
food is provided as may be required while the forcing 
process is in operation. All working as we desire — 
and neither with bees nor men does this always 
