BREEDING. 
86 
stituted that will throw more light on this subject? 
The old hypothesis of limiting drone-egg laying to 
two or three periods, is evidently at fault. 
TWO SIDES OF THE QUESTION. 
If we suppose that the eggs are all alike, and the 
subsequent treatment makes either workers, drones, or 
queens, and look to analogy for support, we shall 
find much against, as well as for it. For instance, we 
find in almost every department of animated nature, 
that the sex of the germ of a future being is decided 
before being separated from the parent, as the eggs 
of fowls, &c. Another fact, some queens (averaging 
one in sixty or eighty) deposit eggs that produce 
only drones,* whether in worker or drone-cells, prov- 
ing that sex is decided in this case beyond controversy. 
* I have had several such. It made no difference whether the eggs 
were in the worker-cells or drone-cells, the brood was all drones. When 
in the worker-cells, (and the majority was there,) they required to he 
lengthened about one-third. In an occurrence of this kind, the col- 
ony of workers will rapidly diminish in number, until too few are 
left to protect the combs from the moth. It occurs most frequently in 
spring, but I once had a case the last of summer. The first indications 
are an unusual number of caps, or covers of cells, being under and 
about the hive ; the workers, instead of increasing, grow less in num- 
ber. When you fear this state of things, make a thorough examina- 
tion, blow under the hive some tobacco smoke, as directed in pruning, 
invert the hive, part the combs till you can see the brood ; if the worker- 
cells contain drones, they are readily perceived, as they project beyond 
the usual even surface, being very irregular, here and there a few, or 
perhaps but one sticking out. The worker-brood, when in their own 
cells, form nearly an even surface ; so of the drones. The only remedy 
that I have found is to destroy this queen, and substitute another, which 
can be obtained in the swarming season, or in the fall, better than at 
other times. To find the queen, paralyze with puff-ball, &c. For direc- 
tions see fall management. 
