54 - 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
would eventually have “ run out.” By the present arrange- 
ment, the young queens when they leave the hive, often 
find the air swarming with drones, many of which belong 
to other colonies, and thus by crossing the breed pr<> 
vision is constantly made to prevent deterioration. 
Experience has proved that impregnation may be 
effected not only when there are no drones in the colony 
of the young queen, but even when there are none in her 
immediate neighborhood. Intercourse takes place very 
high in the air (perhaps that less risk may be incurred 
from birds), and this favors the crossing of stocks. 
I am strongly persuaded that the decay of many flour- 
ishing stocks, even when managed with great care, may be 
attributed to the fact that they have become enfeebled by 
close breeding,” and are thus unable to resist injurious 
influences, which were comparatively harmless when the 
bees were in a state of high physical vigor. When a cul- 
tivator has but few colonies, or is remote from other 
Apiaries, he should guard against this evil by occasionally 
changing his stocks. 
The Woukers, or common bees, compose 
the bulk of the population of a hive. A good 
swarm ought to contain at least 20,000; and 
in large hives, strong colonies which are not 
reduced by swarming, frequently number two 
or three times as many during the height of the breeding 
season. We are informed by Mr. Dobrogost Chylinsk?, 
that from the Polish hives, which often hold several bushels, 
swarms regularly issue so powerful that “they resemble 
a little cloud in the air.” 
It has already been stated, that the workers are all 
females whose ovaries are too imperfectly developed to 
admit of their laying eggs. Being for a long time 
