thing on which to haiis thf lirst frame re- 

 moved, it must be set on tlie j,aoiind and 

 leaned against the liive, and you are almost 

 sure to mash more or less bees. In taking 

 out queens, iuserting queen cells, etc., it is 

 just the thing. 



The uprights are lKx%, 24 inches high; a 

 piece 1 inch square across the top for a 

 handle to lift it by and to hold the top to- 

 gether. Two inches below the top bar are 

 hooks on both sides, so as to hang on two 

 frames if desirable. Four inches below the 

 bottom of tiie frames (wiien suspended on 

 the hooks), is a shelf 12 inches wide, to 

 which the uprigiits are nailed. This makes 

 a nice place on which to lay cages, etc. 

 Under this slielf is a drawer (3x8, that draws 

 out on eitiier side, in which 1 keep a dozen 

 queen cages, a siiarp-pointed knife, and a 

 small crooked-point pair of scissors. The 

 stand is well painted, and a groove cut 

 around the under side of the shelf, so that 



VALENTINE'S QUEEN STAND. 



water cannot get into tlie drawex. I always 

 have it in the bee-yard, so that any time I 

 may wish to examine a hive, or anything of 

 the kind, it is near at liaiid. 



Last year 1 used a couple of hooks held 

 together by an iron rod, and hung on the 

 edge of the hive, to hold frames, but it did 

 not wcn-k so well. 1 liad no place to keep 

 cages and tools; could not examine both 

 sides of the comb without lifting it off. 



Carlinville, 111. J. M. Valentine. 



From Los Angeles Star. 



Returning Queens. 



As a general rule, wlien a queen is intro- 

 duced into a new colony and accepted by 

 her new subjects, slie moves on the even 

 tenor of her way. A new departure from 

 this general rule recently came under our 

 observation, when we removed a fine 

 hybrid queen, introducing in her stead an 

 Italian. Not wishing to decapitate her 



liybrid majesty, we removed her to a queen- 

 less colony, some 40 rods distant. Two 

 weeks from that day we examined the 

 colony in which she had been placed, but 

 she was nowhere to be found. She had 

 left slight evidence that the the place that 

 once knew her, knew her no more. We 

 then proceeded to examine tlie colony in 

 which we had placed the Italian, when we 

 were informed by the apiarist that he had 

 removed her from the cage, dead, the follow- 

 ing morning after her introduction. We 

 proceeded, however, with our examination, 

 to ascertain the condition of things ; when, 

 to our surprise, we found her hybrid 

 majesty making her wonted rounds, and 

 that the place that once knew her, now 

 knew her again. 



A brother apiarist informs us of a similar 

 case in his apiary last spring. He had pro- 

 cured a good Italian queen, introducing her 

 into a black colony, from which he had 

 removed tlie black queen into another 

 colony, in a distant part of the apiary, 

 having examined his Italian queen fre- 

 quently after her liberation, and in the full 

 enjoyment of her rights. She remained in 

 her new dominion only for a brief period, 

 as the sequel will show, for in a few days 

 after, on trying? to find her Italian high- 

 ness, he was not a little surprised to find 

 her supplanted by the former black majesty. 

 In order that he might not be mistaken, he 

 examined the colony to which he removed 

 the black queen, and found her missing.— 

 He was able to identify her, so that there 

 was no mistake about it. 



These queens, no doubt, felt that they 

 had been "unjustly counted out," and, 

 without waiting for an investigation, re- 

 sumed the reins of government in their 

 former hives. N. Leveeing. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



County Bee A.ssociation. 



Every county, where any considerable 

 number of bees are kept, should have an 

 organization of those engaged in this pur- 

 suit, whereby an exchange of ideas may be 

 effected, that new improvements may be 

 brought out and discussed, and failures, if 

 any, talked over, the cause ascertained and 

 its remedy suggested, if possible, that they 

 be not repeated. 



So far as I am aware, nothing of the kind 

 has been attempted in this part of Ohio; 

 but, that there is need enough of it, I think 

 is fully shown in the following description 

 of the apiary of a prominent and wealthy 

 farmer which I liave recently visited. 



A friend who is just becoming initiated 

 into the mysteries of bee-keeping, and, per- 

 haps, growing somewhat enthusiastic on 

 the subject, being desirous of increasing his 

 stock, by purchase, invited the writer to 

 accompany him in visiting a farmer, who 

 had signified his willingness to sell a few 

 colonies. 



A pleasant ride of 3 or 4 miles, after a 

 busy day in the apiary, brought us to a well- 

 kept farm and pleasant farm house, with 

 fine out-buildings. All the surroundings 

 indicated the careful and thrifty farmer. 



