THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



121 



ing colonies, they arc oither introdaced or 

 placed upon a single comb fonuiutj a sep- 

 arate nucleus. I then leave the queeuless 

 nucleus about one week or until the brood 

 is sealedT^hen a small piece of comb about 

 two inches square containing eggs and 

 young larviv is given tlio bees. A frame of 

 foundation placed in the hive containing a 

 selected queen will bo drawn out in a few 

 days and filled with etxgs which can be 

 utilized to supply a number of nuclei. By 

 forming the first nuclei at different periods, 

 cells can usually be obtained from one to 

 supply several others, which is a saving of 

 time and expense. 



As a further means of improving our 

 stock we must cull from the young queens 

 as from our colonies, selecting only the 

 largest and brightest colored ones. 



The matter of mating queens should 

 also receive our careful attention. By obser- 

 vation I find that the largest and most vig- 

 orous queens are the most likely to become 

 mismated. By reason of strength and vig- 

 or they are enabled to make the longest 

 journeys — Nature's plan to prevent in and 

 in breeding. Here we have a cause of de- 

 generacy in Italians, since the weaker ones 

 are less likely to become mismated. To 

 overcome this tendencj , "the survival of 

 the fittest, " ( which, where color or variety 

 is not a consideration, works advantage- 

 ously ) I clip about l-li'> of an inch from 

 the young queens' wings the second day 

 after emerging from the cells. This natur- 

 ally lessens their power or flight, placing 

 them in a condition of the weaker ones, 

 limiting them in time and distance of flight, 

 which insures mating with home-drones. 

 For further particulars of this method I 

 would refer the reader to my article on 

 " Mating of Queens " in the Jan. Review. 



The bee-keeper who follows the fore- 

 going methods of seletion, breeding and 

 mating of queens, cannot fail to notice a 

 marked improvement after a period of 

 several years, which, in the coarse of time, 

 will become a fixed tyjie of excellence. 



My Apiary — A Plea for the Esthetical in 

 Apicnlture. 



WM. F. CLARKE. 



Jackson, Mich. 



May 8. 18!>7. 



mms 



JL an 



Tlie next issue of the Review will contain 

 an article from Isaac Lundy of Canada, 

 tellin'j hoiu to secure ih awn combs during 

 the white honey hari^est. 



is not 

 ideal 

 apiary. If it 

 were, there 

 would not be a 

 tree in it from 

 which you could 

 not hive a swarm 

 while standing 

 comfortably on 

 the ground. If 

 I were planting 

 a piece of land 

 for an apiary I would set out only conifers, 

 drawf fruit trees, and low growing shrubs 

 like barberries, lilacs, and sumacs. The 

 nearest I ever came to having an ideal 

 apiary was on a piece of ground where I un- 

 dertook to make a collection of hardy ever- 

 greens. There were also fruit trees, many 

 of which were dwarfs. In my experience 

 the bees manifested a decided prefere ce 

 for settling on the evergreens when they 

 swarmed. This was very handy for the bee- 

 keeper. 



In apiculture, as in theology, I am a her- 

 etic, and do not pretend to follow the beat- 

 en track. I believe in sugar honey and my 

 right to produce it, although the law forbids 

 my doing so, and I obey the law, under pro- 

 test. I do not believe in the honey-extrac- 

 tor, and think it has been, on the whole, a 

 curse rather than a blessing to bee-keeping. 

 The shortest, surest way, in my opinion, to 

 get rid of adulteration is to raise only comb 

 honey. If people do not want to chew wax 

 it is easy to separate it from the liquid por- 

 tion. Our best bee-keepers tell us they can 

 raise eighty percent as much comb honey as 

 they can extracted. If they do not extract 

 until the honey is fully capped over and 

 completely finished by the bees, I believe 

 they can produce a larger proportion of 

 comb honey than eighty per cent. I would 

 not join an orgmizition formed for the 

 special object of prosecuting adulterators. 

 I have no sympathy with the spirit of pro- 

 hibition as such. We have too much legal 

 couipulsion in the world and too little mf)r- 

 al suasion. Hut I started out to discuss my 

 apiary, not adulteration and the prosecu- 

 tion of adnlterators. 



