Into each end of the hive I then placed a queen-cell nearly ready to hatch, pressing it on the comb the same as I have spoken of in a preceding chapter; then I awaited results. The queens in the lower part of these hives were very prolific, the same being selected on purpose, as I desired to try the plan under the most unfavorable circumstances, so as to know if there was any chance of a failure. An examination, two days later, revealed that all of the queens had hatch and were perfectly at home. Four days later, a three-fourths inch hole was bored through the back part of the hive near each end, so as to come into the apartment where the queens were confined; while a button made of inch stuff was first to turn on a screw, so that when the hole was open the button formed a little alighting-board immediately underneath the hole, and when turned it closed the hole entirely, leaving the hive as tight as it was before. The holes were left open for the next four days, when an examination showed that the queens had commenced to lay; and they were as nice, large queens as I ever saw, when at this stage of their existence. The buttons were now turned, and the queens left for two days, when they had filled every available cell with eggs--probably to the amount of three-fourths of a frame, as there was considerable honey in the combs. They were now taken out and sent to customers, or used in the apiary, according as I had place for them, when more cells were placed on the combs, and the buttons turned open again six days afterward. In due time I had more laying queens ready to use, and that without hindering the work of the hive a particle, the bees working right along, and the old queen doing duty below, the same as if she was the only queen in the hive. More cells were given again, and so on during the season, success attending every effort. As hinted at in a former chapter, queens can be fertilized from sections in the same way, by having a little brood in one of them, and enclosing those which the queen is allowed to occupy, with perforated-zinc; but, as I said before, I do not recommend the plan to be used that way. It will work equally well where using half-depth frames, as many do when producing extracted honey; only, to be sure of success, there should be a little brood in one frame or comb. When I found that my "hobby" was really an actual fact, I felt to rejoice, I assure you; and had it not been that I had resolved to give the matter in book form, these facts (together with how to get the queen-cells built, just when and where they were desired), would have been given to the public long ago. I find that to get the best results, the holes through which the queens pass when going out to be fertilized, must be on the back part of the hive, or on the opposite side from the entrance; for if on the sides of the hive, or in front, now and then a queen will go to the entrance upon returning from her wedding-tour, and, as the bees are all of the same family, this young queen will be allowed to go in and kill the one reigning below. While experimenting to find out where these queen-entrances should be, I had three queens killed in the lower part of the hive during one season; the last two of which were young queens, having been laying only a month or two.