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THE APIARY. 
HOW TO PROCURE BEES TO STOCK AN APIARY. 
First , by Purchasing Bees. 
Old stocks in box bives may be purchased and transferred 
into movable-comb hives. "We prefer those not over three or 
four years old, that have cast swarms (and with them their old 
queens) the year before, unless the black queens are soon to be 
destroyed, and the stocks Italianized. 
Smoke and examine them. If in the spring, they will, of 
course, be less populous than in the fall, yet bees should be clus- 
tered between most of the combs. The combs should be free 
from mold, and are easier transferred if in broad sheets. The 
less drone comb the better, and the more honey there is, the 
more you will have left for the table after transferring. "We 
have transferred stocks from large box hives, giving them an 
abundance of honey, beside leaving out enough to amount in 
value to the purchase price of the stock. But if stocks that are 
not to be transferred, have, in the spring, from twelve to twenty 
pounds of honey, they will usually swarm earlier and be more 
prosperous than heavier ones, as large quantities of honey, at 
this season, only take up room that should be occupied witli 
young brood. Probably the best stocks to purchase, aro second 
swarms of the year before, provided the hives are full or nearly 
full of comb. Such stocks have young queens, and the comb 
cells are the small size proper for rearing workers, as drone comb 
is seldom built during the first year of the queen’s existence. 
But if your hives are left to be filled with new swarms, take 
first swarms by all means, being careful to get, if possible, those 
