1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



637 



transfer of larvje only is made without first 

 priming' the cups, as the bees receiving them 

 }>iiisi be in a condition to add fresli food im- 

 mediately around the larva in either case. 

 If the jelly used in priming- the cups is very 

 stale it is removed before fresh is added, 

 and no doubt proves to be a disadvantage. 



As before stated, an intended queen larva 

 does not consume any but the fresh food sup- 

 plied immediately around it, when suffi- 

 ciently fed to result in a perfect queen, and 

 none of the food in the cell is suited to its 

 wants except that, in its immediate touch, 

 any more than sour milk or clabber is suit- 

 ed to the wants of young of any kind. 



It may be argued that drone and worker 

 larva; leave none unconsumed. which is 

 true; but it can also be remembered that 

 the same treatment will not develop a queen, 

 and, besides, the supply is never so far in 

 advance of the demand in their case as to 

 sour to the extent that that does which is 

 receded from in a queen-cell. 



Now, this arg-ument should not be con- 

 strued as condemning the use of royal jelly 

 in priming queen-cups, or as claiming that 

 good queens can not be reared when it is 

 used; but all depends on the use of larva; 

 that have been lavishlj^ fed from the start, 

 and the immediate attention given the same 

 by the bees, which is the secret of perfect 

 success, regardless of the mode of transfer 

 or the construction of the receptacle used. 



Larva; of a much more advanced age can 

 be successfully used if they are transferred 

 from a comb given to bees minus unsealed 

 brood, when it contains eggs only, even if 

 a virgin queen be present, as such larva; are 

 usually lavishly fed ; but the limit then 

 should be under rather than over two days 

 old; whereas, if it is to be selected promis- 

 cuously from the combs of a full colony from 

 appearance onl^^ the limit should be lower- 

 ed still more. 



In the hands of those who have become 

 proficient in the use of such tools, quite 

 young larva; can be successfully transfer- 

 red with toothpicks, tiny metal ladles, cam- 

 el-hair brushes, etc., with the advantage of 

 not having to mutilate the combs from which 

 they are taken. 



But we now propose to describe a plan 

 ■whereby any thing from an egg just laid to 

 a larva of the oldest limit can be transfer- 

 red, and it obviates the necessity of any 

 priming whatever, as the food is transfer- 

 red with it. Like the Alley plan of cutting 

 the combs into strips and allowing the bees 

 to construct the cells over the eggs or very 

 young larva;, by which we can secure 

 queens second to none reared by any of the 

 forced methods, and equal to those reared 

 naturally under the most favorable condi- 

 tions, if the bees be properly prepared for 

 cell-building it requires the mutilation of 

 the combs, but, fortunately, old ones, and 

 only a very few of them in a season, as the 

 same set can be used repeatedly, as will b^ 

 explained further on. This plan combines 

 all of the good points in every plan 3 et giv- 

 en to the public, and of all of them combin- 



ed; it carries with it only the one mention- 

 ed above. 



The same objection — that is, the cutting- 

 out of a piece of comb to be shaven down, 

 was considered necessary j^ears ago, when 

 milking transfers a la Doolittle; but now 

 many who still use the toothpick, and trans- 

 fer a larva only, simply lift it from the bot- 

 tom of the cell, and thus overcome the ne- 

 cessity of mutilating the combs; but the 

 plau is attended with the objection of hav- 

 ing to handle a whole comb, which is liable 

 to attract robbers, besides g-etting things 

 besmeared with honey while making the 

 transfers. 



THE BEE IN LAW. 



Statutory Enactments. — Article 7. Continued from 

 Last Issue. 



BY R. D. FISHER. 



9. SAME, COUNTY INSPECTOR OF BEFS. 



{a) Laws of Colorado, approved April 16, 

 1891 (Laws 1891, p. 41), provide for the ap- 

 pointment by the county court, upon appli- 

 cation of the Colorado Bee-keepers* Asso- 

 ciation, or of any five actual bee-keepers 

 resident in any county, of a competent, act- 

 ual bee-keeper, resident of said county, to 

 be county inspector of bees. Application 

 shall be based upon information and belief 

 that the disease known as foul brood, or 

 any other contagious or infectious disease, 

 exists, and must name the actual bee-keep- 

 ers of the county, so far as known to the 

 applicants. 



{b) Oath of office. — The person so ap- 

 pointed shall, within five daj's, file with 

 the clerk of the court his acceptance of the 

 office, and the usual oath of office. The in- 

 spector shall hold office during the pleasure 

 of the court, and until his successor is ap- 

 pointed and qualified. 



{c) Bee-keepers Give Notice of Foul 

 Brood — Penalty. — A bee-keeper or other per- 

 son aware of the existence of foul brood, 

 either in his own apiary or elsewhere, shall 

 immediately notify the county inspector, if 

 there be one; if not, the Secretary of the 

 Colorado Bee-keepers' Association, of the 

 existence of such disease, and in default of 

 so doing he shall, on summary conviction 

 before a justice, be liable to a fine of 65.00 

 and cost. 



(rf) Duty of Inspector ; Oivners ; Tveat- 

 7iient. — On receiving notice from any source 

 of the existence of the aforesaid disease the 

 inspector shall forthwith inspect each col- 

 ony of bees and all hives, implements, and 

 apparatus, honey, and supplies used in con- 

 nection with such apiary, and mark those 

 he believes to be infected, and notify the 

 owner or agent thereof; and the latter shall, 

 within five days, faithfully apply and carry 

 out such treatment of the diseased colonies 

 as may have been prescribed by the State 

 Bee-keepers' Association for such cases, 

 and thoroughly disinfect, to the satisfaction 



