BKEEDING. 
79 
A YOUN0 QUEEN TAKES THE PLACE OF HER MOTHER IN THE 
OLD STOCK. 
In ordinary circumstances, when a swarm has left 
a stock, the oldest of the young queens is ready to 
emerge from her cell in about eight or nine days ; if 
no second swarm is sent out, she will take her moth- 
er's place, and begin to lay eggs in about ten days, or 
a little less. Two or three weeks is the only time 
throughout the whole season, but what eggs can be 
found in all prosperous hives. Whenever a copious 
yield of honey occurs, drones are reared ; as it becomes 
scarce, they are destroyed. 
The relative number of drones and workers that 
exist when they are most numerous, doubtless de- 
pends on the size of the hive, whether one in ten, or 
one in thirty. 
When a swarm is first hived, the first cells are the 
size for working ; if the hive be very small, and bees 
numerous, it may be filled before they are fully aware 
of it, and but few drone-cells constructed; conse- 
quently, but few can be raised ; whereas if the hive 
be large, long before it is full, considerable honey will 
be stored. Cells for storing honey are usually the 
size for drones ; these will be made as soon as the 
requisite number for workers is provided. An abun- 
dant yield of honey during the process of filling a 
large hive, would therefore cause a great proportion 
of these cells to be built — the amount of drone-brood 
being governed by the same cause, is a strong argu- 
ment against large hives, as affording room for too 
many of these cells, where an unnecessary number oi 
