GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Now, it is not often that American edi- 

 tors are caught napping; but I think I 

 can prove that they do indulge in a nap 

 sometimes, and that Editor Hurley, of the 

 Canadian Bee Journal, must have been 

 sleeping soundly when he wrote that edi- 

 torial or he would certainly have known 

 where the scheme really had its origin, 

 which was neither in America nor Canada, 



SCHEME FIRST ADOPTED IN NEW ZEALAND 

 AMONG ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE. 



Although not the originator, I believe I 

 was the first to adopt the method among 

 English-speaking beekeepers. During the 

 season of 1809 I made my first attempt at 

 one of our state apiaries, which resulted in 

 (lO fine cells, and on the second venture 80 

 grand ones were obtained. I took jjhotos of 

 both combs (one of each of which I am 

 sending you) ; but as they wei'e taken in a 

 very bad light, inside, to avoid draft, they 

 are not very clear. Being a staunch advo- 

 cate of the Alley plan of raising queens, 

 the method appealed to me, and we still 

 carry it out in the government apiarv. 



On October 23, 1909, I wrote Dr."E. F. 

 Phillips, giving him a brief description of 

 the method, telling him where 1 got it, and 

 sent him a photo of the first batch of cells. 

 He afterward informed me that he had ex- 

 plained the system before, I think, the New 



York convention of beekeepers. In the 

 August number of the New Zealand Farm- 

 er for 1910 (which you, Mr. Editor, may 

 have in your files) I published the process 

 in full, with illustrations; and when revis- 

 ing for the fifth edition of my "Australian 

 Bee Manual" in June, 1910, I included it, 

 so that the method, though apparently hav- 

 ing failed to reach the m.ajority of beekeep- 

 ers in America, has been well ventilated in 

 this part of the world for over two years 

 and a half. 



Possibly Dr. Phillips may have forestall- 

 ed me in this matter; but as I am ignorant 

 whether he has or not, I can not be blamed 

 for repetition if he has. I hope Editor 

 Hurley will not get too great a shock when 

 I tell him that it was out of his own journal 

 for July, 1909, page 255, I got the infor- 

 mation, contributed, I think, by Jacob 

 Habera, or Habbera, and translated from 

 an Austrian bee journal. This, I think, 

 will clear \\\) the mystery. 



THE PRACTICAL USEFULNESS OF THE METHOD 



You, Mr. Editor (page 178, March 15), 

 express a doubt about its being wise to al- 

 low more than two dozen cells to be at- 

 tended to in one colony. That was about 

 the luimber 1 considered enough at one 

 time; but more mature experience has con- 

 vinced me that a strong two or three story 



Fig. 2. — Sixty good cells obtained on this comb at the first attempt. First week in October, 1909. 



