Ar[tificial] Swarms. If the season is not a productive one in 
honey, numerous Ar[tificial] swarms may 
be produced by liberal feeding. If we multiply 
greatly our colonies either by natural 
or artificial swarming in any season we 
cannot expect large honey harvests. 
Great amounts of honey are to be obtained 
from extra large colonies, but if they 
are new colonies they will always do
more work than an equal number of 
bees in a non-swarming hive. Very early
swarms whether Nat[ural] or Ar[tificial] ought to have 
comb and honey in their new hive. 
Doubling early Nat[ural] swarms a very
good plan to obtain large amounts of 
honey, but one of the queens ought to 
be caught to be used for another swarm. 
Early Breeding. This is all important in any system 
of management. There can be no great 
success without it. It can only be promoted 
by having, large healthy stocks 
in the fall and keeping them in hives 
which preserve them warm, dry and 
clean in the winter. 
Premature. There may be such 
a thing as premature breeding - this 
more apt to occur in thin hives, which feel 
any unseasonable warmth of the weather 
more than hives properly protected. Such 
brood often perishes in the sudden changes 
of the weather, leaving the hive far 
worse than if they had not begun to breed. 