THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



171 



Motto, w Promptness. 



Dill you ever go to your post-office every 

 day for a week expecting each mail to 

 bring a queen, and not even get a postal 

 informing vou when she would be sent? 

 I do not treat my custoTiiers that way; and 

 not long since received a letter from a 

 patron, stating that he was glad that he 

 had found a breeder that was neither too 

 lazy nor too stingy to write. 



Every one can exoect an acknowledg- 

 ment of the receipt of an order as soon as 

 the mail service will supply it, and al- 

 most invariably, the queens as soon; or 

 according to instructions. 



I advertise but little out of season be- 

 cause I enjoy sending queens by return 

 mail, and usually do it. 



The only reason for qualifying a prom- 

 ise to fill orders by return mail, a thing I 

 have done, with few exceptions, in the 

 past, is because they sometimes come in 

 a rush unexpectedly. I have received 

 orders for 100 queens in a single day, 

 after having a "dull trade" for some 

 days, and to keep cells and queens in the 

 right condition, even with 300 nuclei, to 

 meet these fluctuations is next to impos- 

 sible. Nevertheless, remember my motto, 

 with the assurance that none are kept in 

 suspense, and that it is an exception to 

 the rule if orders are not filled at the ap- 

 pointed time, oraccording to instructions. 

 I make a specialty of breeding the 

 Golden or five-banded strain; and the re- 



sult is onh' Goldens seem to be in demand; 

 but I now have a select three-banded 

 breeder, of "Superior Stock," that pro- 

 duces the quietest bees I ever handled, 

 and I will supply her daughters, mated in 

 a Golden apiar\', thus giving a direct 

 cross, and guarantee perfection in devel- 

 opement, forfi.oo each, for either tested 

 or untested. 



Seventy-five per cent of all Golden 

 queens carried over, or wintered, produce 

 apparently uniforml}- marked drones and 

 Golden bees. A number of these queens 

 are tested each year for business, and 

 those showing the best results used as 

 breeders. Besides this, to prevent in- 

 breeding, I occasionally secure the best 

 queens offered by other breeders. The 

 result of my persistent efforts in breeding 

 them up to a high standard, enables me 

 to offer tested queens answering the de- 

 scription for that grade in the "Descriptive 

 List" of the N. Q. B. Union, at the same 

 price charged for untested. Prices are as 

 follows: Tested or untested fi.oo; Select 

 tested $1.25; Breeders I2.00; and fault- 

 less, I5.00. P\iultless queens are of rare 

 occurrance, and for such, orders should 

 be placed earl}-, to be filled when they 

 can be. The "breeders" are such as 

 are usually sold as faultless queens. 



Prices on quantities quoted on applica- 

 tion. 



Money order office Warrenton. 



W. H. Pridgen, Creek, N. C. 



