THE MMERICJKN: m^W JOURNKL. 



491 



and part perforated-zinc. The parti- 

 tions are so placed that two brood- 

 frames will go into the apartments at 

 each side, and one frame in each of 

 the middle apartments. The outside 

 dimensions are 12ixlt)J inches, or the 

 same size as my hive, and takes the 

 same brood-frame. The depth is 7J 

 inches, so as to allow a beo-space 

 above and below a 7-inch brood- 

 frame. 



On the bottom of the chamber is 

 attached a sheet of perforated zinc, or 

 a wood-zinc combination, which is at- 

 tached also to the bottom of tlie parti- 

 tions, which extend through tlie cham- 

 ber to the top, so that a sheet of per- 

 forated-zinc laid on the t(jp, or the 

 wood-zinc honey-board, will close the 

 four apartments to the queens. 



When the chambers are storified, a 

 zinc excluder is used between each 

 one of them to form the necessary bee- 

 space ; but an excluder is not required 

 under the lower one, as we may put on 

 a strip of perforated-zinc over the en- 

 trance in the bottom-board on which 

 the chamber is placed ; or, we can 

 place a queen-trap or a simple ex- 

 cluder before the entrance. This pre- 

 vents any queens or di'ones from get- 

 ting under the chamber out of sight, 

 and will compel both the qneens and 

 drones to go in at the holes in the sides 

 of the chambers. It is remarkable to 

 see the drones go out and in at the 

 holes, apparently visiting tlie young 

 queens iu the several apartments, but 

 the queens return to the holes from 

 which they came, with almost unerring 

 certainty. The holes are made with a 

 |-inch auger, near the bottom of the 

 chamber, one to each of the apart- 

 ments. 



Where the holes come near each 

 other in storifying, I place a twig of 

 green leaves or other object to aid 

 them in locating the right hole. I have 

 also painted the chambers with red, 

 white, blue and yellow sides, but I do 

 not think it necessary, if twigs of 

 leaves are attached about the holes. 

 The twigs are pinned on with common 

 pins. 



In starting the chambers with queen- 

 cells, all of the holes are stopped with 

 common corks until the cells are 

 hatched. On the third or fourth day 

 after, the corks must be removed 

 about 12 m., aud if the colony is 

 strong, the corks may be left out. 

 After the queens have mated, the corks 

 may be put back again. But very few 

 workers are seen to issue from the 

 holes, so that they may as well be stop- 

 ped after the queens are laying, unless 

 drones are in the chambers, iu which 

 case the holes may be leftoju'n at least 

 during the middle of the day. 



I find it best to rear about the num- 

 ber of queens that a colony will 



usually start, or 12 to 16 ; but if the 

 colony is built up very strong by hatch- 

 ing brood from other colonies, after 

 the first lot of (picens are taken out 

 and disposed of, it may be started with 

 (i to 8 of the chambers, and from 20 to 

 30 queens rear(Hl at a time. If the 

 cells given will all hatch at about the 

 same time, I tliink that it would be 

 possible to rear that many queens 

 every two weeks in one of these 

 colonies. 



In taking out the queens, one, two 

 or more may be taken any time after 

 they begin laying, but no re-queening 

 can be done till every queen is re- 

 moved and the colony has been queen- 

 less at least three days ; and it is better 

 to wait until some of the cells stai-ted 

 are sealed over ; llien cells should be 

 given that will hatch very soon, and 

 all within a few days. With our pres- 

 ent method of getting cells, this is vei'j' 

 easy to do. Either the cells may be 

 introduced, or they may be hatched in 

 nurseries, and then a queen allowed to 

 run into each of the apartments in all 

 of the chambers used ; but if capped 

 queen-cells are in any of the apart- 

 ments, it is safer to introduce the cells. 

 If we tear down the cells (and it is the 

 best plan at this time of the year), then 

 a queen just hatched will be accepted 

 every time. 



Ho>«' to iiet Queen-Cells. 



My method of getting queen-cells I 

 think to be far sui)erior to any otlier 

 plan. It was first made known at the 

 late Columbus International Conven- 

 tion, and is as follows: 



Take the queen and brood from any 

 colony, and give combs of honey or 

 sealed brood, leaving out a central 

 comb. Cage the queen removed, and 

 put her over the frames to keep the 

 bees quiet until evening. Then take 

 her away, and leave them queenless 

 until the next day, when they will not 

 destroy eggs that are given to them to 

 rear queen-cells. 



Prepare the eggs for them as fol- 

 lows : Take a brood-frame, remove 

 the bottom-bar, and nail in a cross- 

 piece one inch wide, and as long as 

 the frame inside, 1] inches from the 

 lower end of the end-bars. Fasten in 

 a sheet of foundation that will come 

 down nearly to the cross-piece, and 

 the frame is ready for the eggs. 



Select the colony to breed from, and 

 cut out a piece of comb 2 inches 

 squai-e, containing eggs about ready to 

 hatch, and cut up the comb into single 

 rows of cells ; then cut off two-thirds 

 of the comb on the opposite side of the 

 septa, after which cut up the rows of 

 cells into cells having an egg in each. 

 These are to make the queen-cups, and 

 I let the bees make them. 



Hold the frame bottom up, and drop 

 a little melted wax on the cross-piece 



about an inch apart, bj' means of a 

 small earners-hair brush, and, before 

 tlie wax chills, attach the cells so that 

 they will point mouth downwards, 

 when the lianie is placed in the hive. 

 My brood-frame is 7x17 inches, and I 

 can attach in this way 10 cell-cups 

 without danger that the bees will build 

 any of them together. 



As soon as the frame is i)repared, 

 place it in the queenless colony, and 

 they will start 12 to 16 cells. As soon 

 as they are well supplied with royal 

 food, the bees ai'c to be shaken off, 

 and the frame placed in the super of a 

 strong colony over a zinc-excluder, for 

 completion and care. 



Give another ])repared frame to the 

 queenless colony, and remove as be- 

 fore, which may be done three or four 

 times, when the colony had better be 

 given a laying queen. All of the cells 

 may be given to the strong colon)' to 

 care for till nearly ready to hatch. 



If no honey is coming in, the colo- 

 nies building the cells should be lib- 

 erally fed. 



My new brood-chamber holding the 

 sus))ended Langstroth frame, size 7x17 

 inches, I regard as the best adapted to 

 the new system of queen-rearing, as it 

 is also the best for the producer of 

 comb or extracted honey ; for winter- 

 ing, or tor breeding up strong colonies 

 in the sjiring. 



New Philadelphia. O.. July 22, 1889. 



HONEY SHOWS. 



How to Make a Good Display- 

 One that Will Attract. 



Written for the Rural CanndUm. 



As very many will be making ex- 

 hibits of honey before long, a few sug- 

 gestions will not be out of place. 



Do not attempt too much ; do what- 

 ever you undertake in a thorough man- 

 ner, a credit to yourself and the in- 

 dustry which you represent. Exhibits 

 of anything gotten up in a hurried 

 and incomplete way, reflect very un- 

 favorably upon whoever makes them. 



If you have not a good article, or if 

 a displ.ay is required, and you have not 

 the proper material to make it with, 

 what benefit will you derive ? None. 

 The neatest display you can make of 

 honey would be a combination of comb 

 and extracted honey. 



If you wish to relieve the monotony 

 of a honey show, some curiosity, by 

 way of a frame of brood ; if it contains 

 worker, drone and queen cells, so 

 much the belter; also drones and 

 workers. Of course it is not at all 

 likely that you will be able to have 

 queen-cells and a queen upon the same 

 frame. Then photographs of your 



