GLEANINGS IN BEF CULTURE 



Al'GUST, 1919 



a young queen in each hive. That 's our next 

 job." 



Anne looked down the rows of hives. ' ' It 

 sounds like a big one, ' ' she sighed. 



At the words Mr. Lowe sat down on a hive 

 and looked at Anne gravely. "It does," he 

 answered, "too big." 



"To you, too?" surprised. 



"For another reason, Anne. I don't like 

 leaving Mother alone much these days. I 

 believe — " a moment's steady consideration 

 — "yes, I believe I'll let the requeening go 

 this year, after all. Our queens are only 

 a year old, anjTvay, — and there are other 

 things much more important than bees. ' ' 



From the sudden sadness of his look, 

 Anne turned her eyes. Something was there 

 too much his very own to be watched. But 

 after a minute she looked swiftly back. 



"Daddy Lowe," she said in tender impul- 

 siveness, "let me re-queen the yard! You 

 stay at the house — with her. ' ' 



There was protest, and insistence, but in 

 in the end Anne seemed to win. ' ' Only, ' ' 

 she conditioned, "please don't ask me to use 

 artificial cell cups, and graft larvae and 

 things like that. I'm no grafter," with a 

 steadfast attempt at gayety. 



"I thought you'd enjoy that part," he 

 said. "It's really fascinating." 



"Maybe, some day. But not yet. I'm 

 too green. Why couldn 't I just kill all the 

 queens — Oh dear, that 's honestly what I 

 hate worst of all! — and let each colony raise 

 its own new queen?" 



"You could." 



"Your tone says, But something. But 

 what? Would it leave them queenless too 

 long?" 



"It wouldn't be downright tragic, but it 

 would be a little too long — a little too late. 

 Three weeks to get a new laying queen, 

 three more before any of her progeny 

 emerge, and two more before they are flying. 

 I don't mind a break like that in the latter 

 part of the main flow or immediately after 

 it. But for August, brood-rearing is better 

 than queenlessness. " 



Anne sighed. "I thought that would be 

 such a nice simple way. ' ' 



' ' There is another objection to it. About 

 a fourth of the yard this season produced 

 less than the vard average. Don 't vou 

 think—" 



"Oh, of course! We've got to requeen 

 them from our best producers." 



"Well, if you really insist on tackling 

 this job — " 



"I really do." 



"Then we'll compromise by requeening 

 only those poor producers. You have men- 

 tioned methods you don't want to use — is 

 there any especial one you do want to use?" 



"There are so many ways to do every- 

 thing a beginner can hardly decide which is 

 best. It must take lots of experience to get 

 the most out of reading. ' ' 



"It takes lots of reading to get the most 

 out of experience, too, ' ' he replied. 



' ' But lately I read all about putting a 

 comb of eggs flat across the top of a hive, 

 and I thought that sounded like a cutie sort 

 of plan. Did you ever try it?" 



"Yes. That will do. I leave it to you," 

 and he turned to go. 



" Oh ! " a little frightened. ' ' You better 

 find out first if I know how. ' ' 



The man smiled. "If you don't, you'll 

 either read or ask. You are a very con- 

 scientious young lady. But say your les- 

 son over, if you'd rather." 



' ' First, ' ' she began radiantly, dropping 

 down on the grass in the shade, and patting 

 the bench beside her for the old man to be 

 seated too, "I'll pick for a breeder the 

 queen whose workers gave the most honey, 

 that is, if they are good-looking and well- 

 mannered. I'll give them a nice empty 

 worker comb right where the queen will lay 

 in it. Then I'll choose some other big 

 strong colony for the cell-builders, and 

 make them — " tapping fingertips — "queen- 

 less — broodless — eggless. Then I'll take the 

 comb of eggs from the breeder and scrape 

 out the alternating rows of cells, each way, 

 till— ' ' 



"Do that if you wish," interrupted Mr. 

 Lowe. ' ' Otherwise you needn 't. ' ' 



Anne opened her eyes in surprised pro- 

 test. "I thought I had to, but anyway I 

 wish to — I like the checkerboard picture in 

 my mind. Then I'll lay it flat, on sticks 

 or something, an inch or two above the top- 

 bars of the cell-building colony. I'll put a 

 shallow super on and lay a sack over the 

 flat comb and down to the edges of the 

 brood-chamber. Then up will come the 

 nurse bees — poor little things with nothing 

 down there to coddle^ — and before long 

 there'll be royal jelley — Oh, do you think 

 I had better feed them a little every day?" 



"I don't think you need to — tho it helps. 

 We 're cutting down the work right now. 

 Use your own judgment. ' ' 



' ' "That 's flattering, but embarrassing. 

 Perhaps it's educative, too! Well, that's 

 all. Except when the young queens are 

 most ready to come out, I'll have to exe- 

 cute the undesirable queens we want to get 

 rid of, and give each colony a cell — in a 

 protector, I suppose. Or will I have to put 

 them in nuclei flrst?" 



"Put the ripe cells directly into the colo- 

 nies. Then make up nuclei for the cells that 

 are left over; that will give you queens to 

 replace any that don't get accepted or mat- 

 ed." The old man rose. "It's in your 

 hands, Anne. And vou are a great comfort, 

 child." 



Anne rose too. ' ' Daddy Lowe, ' ' she said 

 in her wistful young way, " I do hope Mrs. 

 Lowe will get stronger — and that she '11 get 

 a letter soon from her soldier boy. Surely 

 one will come soon. And perhaps that will 

 help." 



"Perhaps," he answered gently. "Per- 

 haps. ' ' 



