These facts, and other similar ones that 

 have been i-eported, seem to me, to point 

 out the line in wiiich experiments should be 

 made, if we would succeed in breeding 

 from the drones of our purest and best 

 stocks. 



Logansport, lud., Feb. 13, 1S78. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Introducing Virgin Queens. 



it appears from reports in the Journai. 

 that it troubles many bee-keepers to intro- 

 •duce virgin queens. For the benefit of 

 such, I will give my method of introducing, 

 in detail, thinking it has some advantages 

 over any method that has come under my 

 notice. It may not be new to some, but if 

 not, it lias not yet made its appearance in 

 the American Bee Journal, to my 

 knowledge. 



When the apiarist wishes to introduce 

 virgin queens to hives that have swarmed, 

 to prevent after-swarms, or for any other 

 purpose, let him go to a hive that has 

 piping queens, remove the frames without 

 smoke, if possible, or use as little as maybe 

 necessary to subdue the bees, in order not 

 to frighten the guards away from the cells, 

 or you may defeat your object, by allowing 

 the queens to escape without securing them 

 in the cells — therein is where 1 claim the 

 advantage of this plan over others with 

 ■which 1 am acquainted. 



With a small knife remove the cells that 

 have queens ready to emerge, which may be 

 known by their having the lid of the "cell 

 <jut loose part way around, and would come 

 out any time if they were not kept back by 

 the guard of workers that are stationed 

 around such cells for the purpose of keep- 

 ing them prisoners, and supplying their 

 wants, which they do by the queens thrust- 

 ing their tongues through the opening at 

 the side of the lid, to receive the proffered 

 food, tendered by the faithful workers. — 

 Use care in handling the cells, and, as fast 

 as removed from the comb, lay them on 

 their side, on a small board with a cleat on 

 one end; lay the open end of the cells close 

 against the cleat, to prevent the escape of 

 the queens till you get all, or as many as 

 you wish to remove; then take the board 

 <5ontaining the cells, go to the hive you 

 wish to re-queen, take a cell in one hand, 

 hold the open end close to the entrance and 

 with your knife assist the queen to remove 

 the lid, and let her run into the hive with- 

 out touching her with your fingers, and she 

 will be well received. 



1 have introduced many by this plan, and 

 found it the most uniformly successful of 

 any method that 1 have tried. I have had 

 a few cases where virgin queens were put 

 in very early in the season, to prevent after- 

 swarms, become fertile ana fill the hive 

 with brood so rapidly that they would 

 swarm out with preparations the same as 

 prime swarms; but such cases are very rare 

 in this climate. 



Last season I introduced 8 queens, the 

 same day, to as many hives. A part had 

 swarmed naturally, and the balance were 

 artificially swarmed; the queens were all 



well received, and in due time were laying. 

 By the way, one of the 8 that was intro- 

 duced to number 14. met with quite an 

 adventure before she reached the hive.— 

 The bees in said hive had been very irrita- 

 ble for several weeks, and would show their 

 pugnatious disposition on approaching the 

 hive, without any provocation whatever. I 

 was very particular to approach this hive 

 with care when giving them a queen. I 

 held the cell near the entrance, and with 

 my knife pushed open the lid. Just as the 

 queen started out of the cell, an angry bee 

 came out of the hive, and started after her; 

 she ran about six inches on the alighting 

 board and then turned to give battle, but it 

 was as decisive as short; she had no more 

 than turned facing her antagonist, before 

 the worker was in her vice-like embrace; 

 the queen curved her abdomen under the 

 worker, stung and dropped her instantly.— 

 She turned round and walked into the hive, 

 as unconcerned as though nothing uncom- 

 mon had happened. The abdomen of the 

 worker contracted, she crawled to the edge 

 of the alighting board and dropped off.— 

 This was all done before the queen had 

 been out of her cell one minute, and was 

 the first time I ever saw a queen sting a 

 worker. 



For preventing after-swarms, this plan 

 has many advantages. I introduce any 

 time, from the day that a hive swarms till 

 just before the young queens that were left 

 in the hive begin to hatch, and have very 

 little trouble, but I prefer to introduce 

 within the first five days after they swarm. 



Warren Co., Pa. Jno. F. Eggleston. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Sending Queens by Mail. 



Last season an attempt was made to get 

 the Post Master General to reconsider the 

 instructions from that department against 

 sending queens by mail, but that august 

 dignitary would scarcely condescend to 

 even listen to the request. Now, we 

 thought at the time that it would have 

 been better not to agitate that question any 

 more, but let every body continue to send 

 queens by mail. We have always done so, 

 unless ordered by express. 



We put them lip in sealed packages, and 

 pay letter postage, and enclose a letter at 

 the same time, so that we are simnly send- 

 ing a letter with a bee, or two or three in 

 it; and if properly put up, the postage 

 would not be more than double letter post- 

 age, at the farthest; and if several queens 

 are sent at once, it would be less. 



The advantage of this plan is, that the 

 postmasters have no business to know what 

 is in your letters, and you are under no 

 obligations to tell; at least, I don't know of 

 any law that authorizes postmasters to open 

 letters, nor to make the writer tell what is 

 in them. 



Put up your queens in sealed packages, 

 put on letter postage and drop them in tiie 

 letter box, and then let us see where the 

 postmaster is that would dare not to send 

 them. 



Postmasters are instructed not to allow 



