(28th) Hot, dry. Oh Deus optima da nobis fluvium Dei plenum aquarum. 
Have examined a large number of stocks today, and find many young queens fertile. 
Am of the opinion that swarming colonies will as a general rule rear much larger
queens then can be reared artificially even in the largest stocks. I shall therefore,
next season try to secure some breeding queens from swarming hives. A queen
impregnated five days ago large but under the most favorable circumstances has not yet
laid an egg. Have had six more unfertile queens starved in cages in my outdoor [crossed out: apiary]
nursery. Thus far a dozen or more [inserted: unfertile] have been starved, and only one or two fertile ones. The
cover of my hives convenient to rest first removed comb against, may be turned in such
a way as always to keep the comb in the shade. The heat of the day the best time to
examine colonies, bees not near so apt to be cross as as in the AM, early, and the sun
softens the propolis so that the frames can be loosened without any jar. Fertile worker. 
July 8th. Caged a queen of a full stock. 19th. Not the least sign of any queen cells, uncaged
queen. 20th. In removing queen could not see that she had laid and found her hemmed
in by bees. Gave the colony a just hatched queen. [crossed out: 20th. Can find no queenless few queen]
[crossed out: cells begun. 20th] 25th. Gave the colony a fertile young queen as the other was gone. 
26th. Queen gone and queen cells begun. 28th. Destroyed two queen cells with
drone larvae in drone comb, found two in worker comb but thought they have drone
larvae in them. All this the work of a fertile worker as I believe. Her presence in
the first instance induced the bees to build no queen cells. Sending queens by
mail. The tube described July 8th, might have grooves [crossed out: in the corners], thus
so that the bees could easily pass through these grooves. Cut
with a sharpened tin tube a cylinder from a comb of sealed
honey, the size of the tube. Push it into tube about one inch deep. 
If grooves are not made, make a hole in the cylinder of honey, full large
for bees easily to pass through. Let some hungry bees lick all running
honey clean, on one or perhaps both sides of the tube after introducing
about two dozen bees and a queen. Put a piece of quite porous sponge,
then put over the openings wire cloth. The sponge would prevent any danger
of honey leaking out, if the comb should get out of place. It might
not be amiss to have a cylinder of empty old comb also, so that the bees
would have a place to store any that leaked out. The sealed honey should
also be in old comb. Try it, and if it answers a great gain. (29th)
90 degrees and over, terribly dry. Find the plan of putting small pieces of comb in the corners
of nuclei for queen raising a very good one. A slice about 1/2 inch wide can be cut
from the bottoms of comb from large frames without hurting them, and can be used
to great advantage in the nuclei. A queen under the most favorable circumstances did