THE PRODUCTION OF HONEY. 
507 
tation of the brood-chamber, be brought to reduced 
activity long before the period just now indicated. Mr. 
Simmins says, in speaking of swarms made for the 
raising of queens : “ If the swarm happen to be 
taken before June, the number of stock frames 
may be made up to eight, after a week or so. If 
later than June ist, six only may be used, or too 
much brood will be produced later than is beneficial 
to the production of a surplus;” and years earlier, while 
writing the first edition of Modern Bee-keeping,” I 
thus expressed myself : ” Even in the best-managed 
apiaries it is often found, at the time the honey harvest 
opens, that some hives, though rapidly increasing, are 
not sufficiently crowded to take advantage of super 
space, while the honey yield is so short in duration, 
that to wait while the bees are multiplying is to lose 
it altogether. If comb honey be our object, wise 
management would now either unite, as we have sug- 
gested, or contract the hive, removing every frame, 
filled or unfilled, that does not contain brood, leaving 
only that which is necessary for the egg-laying of 
the queen, and using a division-board, as explained 
under ‘ Wintering.’ - The bees, though not particularly 
strong, are crowded aloft, and super boxes become 
ours where, but for this plan, we could have had no 
hope. But it must not be overlooked that, as the 
bees have no room for store in the hive body, they 
will be left so poor at the removal of the sections 
that sugar must be fed to them ; but our profits, as 
well as our experience, if we have it, will cause us 
to do this with a cheerful heart and a generous 
hand.” 
