elevating and establishing her
upon the throne of a colony, may, by some, be deemed altogether visionary
and futile; but I will assure the reader, that it is easier done than can
be described. I have both raised them, and supplied destitute swarms
repeatedly.

When the drawer containing bees and brood comb is removed, the bees soon
find themselves destitute of a female, and immediately set themselves to
work in constructing one or more royal cells. When completed, which is
commonly within forty-eight hours, they remove a grub (larva) from the
worker's cell, place the same in the new-made Queen's cell, feed it on
that kind of food which is designed only for Queens, and in from eight to
sixteen days they have a perfect Queen.

As soon as the bees have safely deposited the grub in the new-made royal
cell, the bees may have their liberty. Their attachment to their young
brood, and their fidelity to their Queen, in any stage of its minority, is
such, that they will never leave nor forsake them, and will continue all
their ordinary labors, with as much regularity as if they had a perfect
Queen.

In making Queens in small boxes or drawers, the owner will not be troubled
by their swarming the same season they are made. There are so few bees in
the drawer, they are unable to guard the nymph Queens, if there are any,
from being destroyed by the oldest, or the one which escapes from her cell
first.

In examining the drawer, in which I raised an extra Queen, I found not
only the Queen, but two royal cells, one of which was in perfect shape;
the other was mutilated, probably by the Queen which came out first. Now
when there are so few bees to guard the nymphs, it would not be very
difficult for the oldest Queen to gain access to the cells, and destroy
all the minor Queens in the drawer.

When a drawer is removed to an empty hive, for the purpose of obtaining an
extra Queen, it should be placed some distance from the apiary, the better
to prevent its being robbed by other swarms. When it is some distance from
other colonies, they are not so likely to learn its comparative strength.
There is but little danger however, of its being robbed, until after the
bees are out of danger of losing their Queen, which generally occurs in
the swarming season.

The Queen is sometimes lost, in consequence of the young brood being too
far advanced at the time of the departure of the old Queen with her swarm.
If the grubs had advanced very near