PRUNING. 
263 
several ; others prefer April, August, or September. 
Here, as usual, I shall have to differ from them all. 
preferring still another period, for which I offer my 
reasons, supposing, of course, that the reader is con- 
scious of a freeman’s privilege, that is, to adopt what- 
ever method he thinks proper, on this, as on any other 
point. 
ANOTHER TIME PREFERRED. 
There is but one period from February till October, 
when prosperous stocks are free from young brood in 
the combs. If combs are taken out when occupied, 
there must be a loss of all the young bees they con- 
tain ; which may be avoided. The old queen leaves 
with the first swarm ; all the eggs she leaves in the 
worker-cells will be matured in about twenty-one 
days, consequently this is the time to clear out the 
old combs with the least waste. A few drones will be 
found in the cells, that would require a few days more 
to hatch, but these are of no account. Also a few 
very young larvae and some eggs may be sometimes 
found, the product of the young queen ; these few 
must be wasted, but as the bees have expended no 
labor upon them as yet, it is better to sacrifice these 
than the greater number left by her mother, which 
have consumed their portion of food ; the bees have 
sealed them up, and now only require the necessary 
time to mature, to make a valuable addition to the 
stock. 
SHOULD NOT BE DELAYED. 
Should this operation be put off for a time much 
