72 
BREEDING. 
guessed at. If we examine a thrifty stock in tlio 
height of the breeding season, we shall find combs 
filled with brood, amounting frequently to three quar- 
ters of all in the hive. Now by observing the number 
of cells to the square inch, it is easy to get the num- 
ber to the square foot; then multiply this number 
again by the number of combs in a hive, and we shall 
have the whole number of cells. For instance, a 
comb one inch square of worker cells, contains on 
both sides about 50; at this rate, one twelve inches 
square contains over 7,000. Suppose a hive contains 
eight such combs, and that 120 square inches of each 
of the eight combs are used for brood, we have eight 
times 120 square inches of brood ; 50 to the square 
inch would multiply into 48,000 cells. A part of 
these cells, say one or two combs would contain cells 
for drones; these are a little larger, and would reduce 
the number some ; also, some few might be empty, the 
young bees having just left them, and a few might be 
occupied here and there with bee-bread or honey. In 
all, the number might be one quarter of what is termed 
brood comb. Take this number from the 48,000, and 
we have left 36,000 cells actually occupied at one time 
with brood, including eggs, larvae, and chrysalis. We 
must remember that the time, from the egg first de- 
posited to the mature bee, is not over 25 days at most; 
we perceive that all now in the cells must have been 
put there by the queen within the last 25 days! This 
number divides into about 1,500 for each day ! Here 
are some data to guess from. Eggs are frequently found 
in new hives in a few hours after being hived, but they 
