My apiary is swarming with drones and if the weather is favorable
hope to raise many queens, and to see with my own eyes exactly what
queens, drones and workers will come from these queens, from the district
in Italy where only the purest race is found. Shall inquire whether
these queens were artificially raised or in swarming hives. Think from
their being so small, the former. [inserted: see below] 19th. 54 to 76 degrees. Beautiful day. Splendid
work done on the buckwheat, air loaded with smell from hives. A few such
days would make a great change in the stores of my hives. Many of my
stocks crowded with bees, brood, never saw my bees stronger at this season. 
At 11 AM, a very strong stock swarmed. On the 4th its queen removed. 7th a
fertile caged queen given. 8th Liberated queen. There were 24 queen cells. 
The noise [illegible] was very great, had heard it [inserted: early in the AM] and thought (not suspecting)
that it came from a crow. Secured ten strong queens which had cut the lid
of their cells. Hat to pull them out, they were so timid, acted like a wary rat
or mouse at its hole, or spider, cut out three cells, one a drone in queen cell. 
Several cells had been gutted, a number of queens had hatched. Caught five
with the swarm, bees were knotting around several of them. One of the three removed
hatched in a box, another was hatching. Secured (17) seventeen fine queens. 
In all my [illegible] and experience never knew so many saved. 
Cleaned away grass from before hives, bees very much discouraged if anything interrupts
their flight to hive when honey laden. Honey boxes partly filled good to give
to feed nuclei. Queens in swarming, may get up in [inserted: honey] boxes. If this suspected
remove honey board. Long queen cage, much safer, to manipulate
with. Entrance regulating pieces for back hinged ventilator either
for drones or queens. Lay three strips on bottom board and shut down ventilator
on them. This very good idea. Old fork very good to hold burning punk,
very good to pry loose frames, yesterday a hot day, and many young queens were
impregnated. Do not drones and queens need a certain amount of heat to pair. 
Continuation of account of Ligurian queens. This AM, for a long time could
not find the largest Ligurian given to the full stock, could not find an egg,
almost despaired of her, was about removing entrance regulator to see if she
was not dead under front of entrance, saw her at last. Bees were all shaken
on ground before allowed to enter, a large number of young drones which could not get
in crowded entrance portico, and covered grass in front. Think the bees were discouraged,
did not examine after 6 AM. Small Ligurian in strong nucleus is laying
now, her size increased, very active, quite beautiful, have already given
a frame of her eggs to a nucleus removing its queen cells. 21st. Queen cells forming