350 
TIIR inVIC AND IIONRT-mCR. 
one hiilf will contain nearly all tlic brood, wliilo tlio 
otlior, having most of its combs lit only for storing honey, 
or raising drones, will be a complete failure. 
Kven with a Ilubcr-hivc, the plan of multiplying colo¬ 
nies by dividing a full hive into two parts, and adding an 
empty half to each, will be found to require a degree of 
skill and knowledge, far in advance of what can be 
e.<i)ected of ordinary bee-kcej)crs. The same remarks are 
subst.antially true of all frame or bar-hives which do not 
allow suflicient play between the parts to v hich the combs 
are attached; for, as the bees usually build their combs 
slightly waving, and some thicker than others, nearly 
insuperable jiractical difficulties will be found in making 
the necessary interchanges of comb, in such hives. 
Tlie attempt to multiply colonies by the common divid¬ 
ing-hives, will be found fir more laborious and uncertain 
than by natural swarming. Every practical bee-keeper 
who has given it a fair trial, has been glad to abandon it, 
and return to the old-fishioned way. 
Some Apiarians have attempted to multiply their colo¬ 
nies, by removing, when thousands of its inmates are rang¬ 
ing the fields, a strong stock to a new stand, and setting 
ill its place an empty hive, with .a piece of brood-comb, 
suitable for raising a queen. This method is still worse 
th.an the one just described. One half of the dividing- 
hive was filled with breeding comb, while this empty hive 
having next to none, all that is built belbre the queen 
hatches, will be of a size unsuitable for rearing workers. 
The queenless part of the dividing-hive might also have 
contained a young queen almost mature, so that the build¬ 
ing of largo combs would have quickly ce.ased ; for as 
soon as the young queen hatches, the bee.s coinmenco 
building worker-combs.* When a new colony is formed 
• In riUomptlnz to rear arllllclnl swarms by movlni; a full stock, my boos her* 
built combs nearly four Indies thick; and have afterwards pieced tliclr Iuw*r 
