262 FIFTY YEARS A^IONG THE BEES 



sary for their safety, nor to leave a virgin in a nursery 

 any longer than necessity -lemands. 



QUALITY OF QUEENS. 



The question has been raised whether queens reare 1 

 in the way I have described are as good as those reared 

 by the latest methods. I think I can judge pretty well 

 as to the character of a queen after watching her work 

 for a year or two ; I have kept closely in touch with what 

 improvements have been made in the way of queen-rear- 

 ing, and have reared queens by the hundred in the latest 

 style ; and I do not hesitate to say that the simple method 

 I have given produces queens that can not be surpassed 

 by any other method. 



BEGINNER IMPROVING STOCK. 



I have been asked whether I would advise a beginner 

 with only half a dozen colonies, one of them having a 

 superior queen, to use the plans I have given to rear 

 queens from his best queen. I certainly should, if he in- 

 tends to give much attention to the business and increase 

 the number of his colonies. The essential steps to be 

 taken are simple enough ; and even a beginner can easily 

 follow them. But in a few words, here is what I would 

 advise him : 



Take from the colony having your best queen one of 

 its frames, and put in the center of the hive a frame half 

 filled or entirely filled with foundation. If small starters 

 are used in a full colony the bees are likely to fill out with 

 dron^-comb. A week later take out this comb, and trim 

 away the edge that contains only eggs. Put this ])repared 

 frame in the center of any strong colony after taking 

 away its queen and one of its frames. Ten days later cut 

 out these cells, to be used wdierever desired, giving the 

 colony its queen or some other queen. 



Now there's nothing very complicated about that, is 

 there? 



