The relative Strength of different stocks may be determined by watching the flight of the bees. The playing of the young bees in front of the hive is apt to deceive one. This lasts but twenty minutes or so, but a weak stock compared then with a strong one whose young bees are not flying might be regarded as very populous. The young bees sporting in front of the hive may be known by their light, fuzzy appearance, and by the fact that as they take wing to leave the hive they turn their heads toward the entrance and sail about it in semicircles, frequently alighting on the flight board and taking wing again. They are thus marking the location of the hive so as to be able to return to it, for an attempt to enter another hive might result fatally to them. They finally fly away in constantly widening circles. Field workers used to the location fly in a direct line away from the hive. When the young bees return they do not alight at once as do the field workers laden with honey, but generally hover about the entrance until certain they have reached the right hive. Having noted by their flight which stocks seem to have the most bees, a closer examination can be made by blowing a little smoke of any sort into the entrances and tipping the hives back, if they stand on loose bottom boards. When not so constructed the examination must, of course, be made by removing the top covering, or if the combs are built in frames, some of these. In addition to the strength of the colony, the number of combs containing brood, straightness, kind and age of combs, amount of honey on hand, the cleanliness and healthfulness of the colony are points upon which full information is desirable. In April a good colony located in a central latitude ought to have brood in five or six combs; yet as ordinarily wintered it will be difficult to find colonies having at this time more than three or four combs containing brood. The combs should be straight, so that if in an old-fashioned box hive they can be cut out and fitted without great waste into frames, and if the hive is a frame one it is absolutely necessary to have combs straight and built wholly within the frames in order that the latter may be readily removed and returned to the hive. The less drone comb the better. There will always be enough, an area half the size of a man's hand being quite sufficient for each hive. The larger size of the drone cells and greater thickness of the combs (1¼ inches) will make it readily recognizable. If over one-eighth of the surface is drone comb the colony should be rejected. If the combs are so old as to be nearly black and to show cell walls much thickened they are very objectionable. There should be several pounds of sealed honey in each hive in early spring. Other things being equal, those stocks which come through the winter with 20 pounds or so of sealed honey in the combs will develop much faster than those having just enough to