58 
Beekeeping 
31 cm. (12.3 in.). To show the course of egg-laying during 
the season, the accompanying table is copied from this paper. 
These observations were made during 1900 on a colony in 
which the queen was reared in 1899, egg-laying of this queen 
having begun about June 17, 1899. During the year a total 
of about 150,000 eggs were laid. The maximum egg-laying 
occurred during the period of the chief honey-flow, which 
that year was from June 1 to 12. The colony did not swarm. 
Table I. Egg-laying during an Entire Season — Dufour 
Date 
Period 
Average 
Laying 
Feb. 26 
Feb. 5-Feb. 26 
135 
March 20 
Feb. 27-March 20 
220 
April 12 
March 22-April 12 
309 
May 3 
April 12-May 3 
1008 
May 23 
May 2-May 23 
1454 
Juno 14 
May 24-June 14 
1538 
July 5 
June 14-July 5 
1081 
July 26 
July 5-July 26 
668 
Aug. 16 
July 26-Aug. 16 
348 
Sept. 6 
Aug. 16-Sept. 6 
450 
Sept. 27 
Sept. 6-Sept. 27 
83 
In brief, the results of Dufour’s work are as follows: For 
that locality and under the conditions prevailing, the largest 
average observed was 1627 eggs a day (June 10-July 1, 1898). 
The maximum occurs during a heavy honey-flow or imme¬ 
diately after. A queen about to be superseded may lay about 
400 eggs daily, while a young queen may begin by laying 
900 eggs daily (these figures probably vary with the time of 
year). Artificial swarming is said greatly to diminish egg- 
laying. It must be remembered that variation in climatic 
conditions and in honey-flows influence egg-laying and the 
results of such work would not be the same everywhere. 
Work of this character should be carried out elsewhere. 
