1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



151 



National Queen-Breeders' Union. 



Written for the American Bee-Keeper. 



BY .1. B. CASE. 



jjjhiT^EW bee-keepers, perhaps, realize 

 '-^it^ the proportions to which the bus- 

 '^"^^ iness of rearing queen bees for 

 sale has grown. Many thousands are 

 annually sold. They are good, fair or 



ambitious to rear queens of the highest 

 type possible; others bend their ener- 

 gies to rearing large numbers to meet 

 the demand for cheap queens. 



In a "queen trade" the buyer is de- 

 pendent on the "honor" of the breeder 

 as to the kind of stock, method of rear- 

 ing and value of queens. The breeder 



indifferent, depending upon the condi- 

 tions under which they are reared. Tf 

 all the conditions are most favorable 

 good queens result; otherwise, poorer 

 ones. 



Some are queen breeders because 

 they love bees, take delight in fine 

 stock, in rearing, improving and in 

 sharing it with others. Some rear 

 queens as a but- less and others as a 

 side issue for a lew weeks. Some are 



IS (lepc'udeut uu llif purchaser's"honor"' 

 as to arrival of queen and after reports. 

 The dealer has to depend on the honor 

 of both breeder and purchaser. 



To give mutual confidence, to save 

 losses and to improve the quality of the 

 queens reared, Mr. J. O. Grimsley or- 

 iginated the idea of a National Queen 

 }3reeders' Union. Its object is to pro- 

 tect both queen breeders and queen 

 buyers, and the Union guarantees that 



