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larged to give room for two common sized colonies, 
and again contracted or reduced to be of the usual 
breeding size, such as the Champion hive, No. 2, in 
which it is done by the use of a close fitting division 
board ; or as in Champion hive, No. 3, which can be 
united and re-divided. 
Secondly. We must know about what time the forage 
crop, of which we wish to avail ourself, comes in 
bloom : whether white clover, about the first of June, 
linden or basswood about the 10th of July, golden rod 
about the middle of August, or a special crop of buck- 
wheat in bloom about the 20th of September, in such 
localities where the absence of frost allows it to bloom 
that late. 
Now to the management. About five or six weeks 
prior to the time at which the forage crop of which you 
wish to avail yourself comes in bloom, stimulate breed- 
ing in your hives by feeding each colony about 8 oz. of 
syrup every evening, until about two weeks prior to the 
blooming of the forage, then reduce the number of 
your colonies to one-half by uniting every two into 
one — removing or caging both queens. If the bees are 
in a No. 2 Champion hive, one colony in each side 
with a division board between, unite them by removing 
the partition. If in a No. 3 Champion hive, one colo- 
ny in each story, either standing on a separate stand, 
or setting one above the other with a tin partition be- 
