)6 



THE AMERICAN APICULTUHIST. 



One of the other best colonies (not 

 akin to the drone stock) can be used for 

 queens. To obtain some good cells 

 from them they may be forced to swarm 

 by the crowding plan. Save all the 

 good cells and proceed to supersede 

 the inferior queens by taking them away 

 and inserting the cells obtained by forc- 

 ing. Continue in this manner until all 

 have fine yoimg queens from select 

 stock. The brand of zinc to use in the 

 traps should be of the size that will ex- 

 clude drones and yet large enough to 

 allow a queen to pass. If plenty of 

 drone comb is given to the drone-rear- 

 ing colony, there will be plenty of select 

 males in the air when the select virgins 

 fly out to mate, and the result will be a 

 decided cross between the two best 

 stocks in the yard. Be sure to keep a 

 record so as not to have any in-breed- 

 ing and if this practice is followed up 

 the bees will be kept pure and good. 



We warrant that the results in honey 

 will be very noticeable from season to 

 season. 



FORCING INCREASE. 



A simple and safe method for forming 

 new colonies is to go to a strong stock 

 and take from it two frames of capped 

 brood and place them, bees and all, in 

 a new hive. From another colony fully 

 as strong, borrow two frames of hatching 

 brood and place one on each side of 

 those in the new hive. In both cases 

 be careful not to take the old queen. 



Move one of the strong colonies to a 

 new stand and set the new hive in its 

 place. 



Should more bees leave the colony 

 that was moved than enough to cover 

 the four combs in the new hive, their 

 positions should be reversed until the 

 desired force is in each hive. 



At the end of the third day introduce 

 a young laying queen by the above 

 method. 



Empty combs or full sheets of foun- 

 dation should be placed at the side of 

 those occupied as soon as the colonies 

 become strong. The spaces left in the 

 hives from which the brood was taken 

 can be filled in the same manner. 



Never attempt to force increase unless 

 honey is coming in freely. A comb of 

 honey should be given to the forced 

 colony if the flow should happen to shut 

 down. 



EDITORIAL QUEEN-BEE ITEMS. 



Imported queens are very dark and 

 their progeny resemble American hy- 

 brid Italians. 



So far as our experience goes in im- 

 porting queens, we are free to say that 

 our foreign friends do not thoroughly 

 understand the art of rearing them. 



The best queen bees produced are 

 reared by American beekeepers. They 

 excel in points of color, size and pur- 

 ity, as weU as in honey-gathering quali- 

 ties. Is this saying too much for us ? 



A queen bee is very tenacious of life. 

 We have sometimes injured the head, 

 or other parts of their bodies and have 

 seen the queen turn over and appar- 

 ently dead, but in a few moments they 

 would revive and come up as lively as 

 ever. 



The clipping of the wings of a queen 

 is cruel, unnecessary and not of the least 

 advantage to the apiarist. In fact, it is 

 a decided disadvantage and for more 

 reasons than one. These reasons liave 

 been given in the Apt several times, and 

 we will not repeat them here. 



Never handle queens with the hands 

 or fingers, especially a queen that has 

 come out with a swarm. If one is per- 

 spiring freely, the moist hands will give 

 the queen an unnatural odor, and her 

 colony will disown her. Queens med- 

 dled with under such circumstances 

 (swarming time) are almost sure to be 

 destroyed. Use a dry stick, or any- 

 thing to aid the queen if she cannot 

 help herself by reason of defective wings. 



A good queen, when in the act of de- 

 positing her eggs, always has her head 

 pointing towards the bottom of the 

 hive, while an inferior one, when she lays, 

 is seldom found in that position. This 

 accounts for the fact that while the eggs 

 of the former are all laid in one posi- 



