When the weather has become sufficiently settled to render safe the inspection of the brood combs, or, in general, when the bees fly the greater part of each clear day, the work of the queen may be inspected. Should the comb having the largest area of brood in it be toward one side of the hive it is best to locate it as near the center as may be, placing on either side successively those combs having smaller circles of brood and on each side of these the combs containing no brood, but well stored with pollen, while those having honey only will come still outside of these. The brood nest will then have an opportunity to develop equally in all directions. Empty combs are of little use at this time outside of the brood nest as thus arranged, and should be replaced by combs of honey if the latter is needed, or removed altogether. If the combs are well crowded with bees and the queen shows by her regular and compact placing of the brood, as well as by the quantity she seems to have, that she is vigorous and thus capable of accomplishing more than any ordinary brood nest will require of her at this time of the year, a frame filled with worker comb may be slipped into the center of the brood nest. This will be taken possession of immediately by the bees, cleaned and warmed up, whereupon the queen will soon have it filled with eggs. From time to time other combs may be added in the same manner. If cautiously and judiciously followed this plan, supplemented by liberal stores, will increase the brood area and eventually the population of the hive. But the utmost caution is needed, for if done too early cool weather may cause the bees to cluster more closely and result in the chilling of some part of the brood which has thus been spread. The very object sought is not only missed, but the loss of brood will prove a serious setback to the colony. The escape of any of the warmth generated by the bees, as also sudden changes in the weather, should be guarded against. Warm covering above and outer protection are therefore absolute necessities if the best results are to be attained. With favorable weather for the development of brood it is certain that stimulative feeding, if made necessary by the fact that the natural honey resources of the country will not alone bring the strength of the colony fairly up to the desired standard by the opening of the harvest, is to be begun six to seven weeks before the opening of the honey flow from which surplus is to be expected.