open a colony and can find no young queen, no eggs. I gave another on a venture. 
Am more and more delighted with the fact that I can open, manipulate, etc. , with
my Italian bees and forage scarce, and yet have next to no trouble from
robbing bees. If my bees were black I should be unable to do much among
them without very great risk. I was the first to notice this good quality of the
Italians, and it is their crowning excellence. (21st) Cool, strong east wind. Smoky,
can smell the smoke. Examined very strong colony in 13 frame hive, queen of 1862, so full
had to cut from back of frames, many bees around, soon after it was closed all quiet. The
color of this old queen faded out, dull, once good, bright. May [inserted: we] not judge somewhat of the age of
a queen from color, her motions slow, from motions also. Put a number of just hatched queens
in cages with four or five bees this will do for a few hours, if the queens are to be kept longer
put then in an express box with bees, etc. Had yesterday and today a number of dwarf workers
hatch, Italian, some not larger than house flies, like the small wild bees, and from that
up. Shall measure the comb (a nucleus comb) from which I saw them hatching. 
Have a number of beautiful Dzierzon queens laying. Shall watch with the greatest
interest for the appearance of the crosses between his and mine. The queen
whose abdomen was compressed refuses in a large and then in a small colony to lay any
eggs at all. (22nd) 46 to 74 degrees. Almost frost in low places, drought terrible. My
well has 20 1/2 feet of water, 3 horses and a cow have been watered from it. Miss
several queens given to colonies (just hatched) as soon as fertile mother removed. They
do not at first molest them, but often in a day or two they are gone, and the
bees are rearing queens. Some half bloods do not appear to be cross others outrageous. 
Have now got rid of nearly all my old queens of 1862, and impure queens of 1863. 
Under a strong colony with ventilator open on a board have a number of old (caged) queens
covered with bees. Last season lost a caged queen in the grass, she was found several
weeks after with bees clustered on cage all right. Returned original Dzierzon queen to
mother stock, shall not attempt to get queen cells from nuclei to any extent. 
23rd. 46 to 80 degrees. Dry, sun scorching. Removed Rose queen from 52, she is now three years
old, has been quite fertile this season, her color has faded out, gave her to a good stock to
see if she will survive till another season. Her drones very good. To prove them shall
let the stock rear a queen from her eggs. I raised her from egg of one of the original
Rose queens sent me by Dr. Parmely. Have always thought that she mated with a
common or impure drone. In my outdoor queen nursery so far every fertile caged
queen cared for, several infertile ones densely covered with bees but starved. 
To know whether colony is queenless without taking out a frame, put a small piece of
worker comb on top of one of the frames. After removing queens from Italian bees
can see no evidences of queenlessness except their building royal cells. Have taken
just impregnated queen from full stock with no brood suitable for queen raising and can
see no sign of distress. 24th. Dry, hot. (25th) Some sign of rain. [illegible]