134 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



courteously returned, and there was an 

 almost unanimous answer for the rear- 

 ing of queens from the egg, or, what is 

 practically the same, just hatched larvae. 

 Only one raised a voice of disagreement, 

 and claimed the 36-hour limit. 



I therefore found that, as far as prac- 

 tice is concerned, tlie large majority 

 were on or close to the egg plan ; and 

 the reason advocated was that the larvae 

 should early receive an abundance of 

 food. The abundance of food is a very 

 good thing to advocate ; but upon this 

 point I would give but very little for an 

 opinion or an investigation that goes no 

 further than the unaided eye can reach. 

 Upon turning to our standard text-books 

 I found this visible abundance promi- 

 nently treated upon with more or less 

 modifying points brought out by closer 

 researches. 



I also found two divergent lines of 

 belief. The first class of writers would 

 lead us to believe that especial royal 

 jelly is given to larvae designated to be 

 queens from the very first moment of 

 hatching. Class No. 2 advocates that 

 all larvje are fed alike until 36 hours old, 

 and that a coarser food is given to the 

 larvae destined to become workers. As 

 to which of these two classes is right, 

 is, perhaps, beyond the reach of any 

 one to definitely decide, until further 

 researches are made ; but we can quote 

 opinions and tests as far as made, and 

 find indications that point toward cer- 

 tain results. 



When the investigator considers the 

 wonderful changes that are effected, or, 

 as Prof. Cook says, the ''marvellous 

 transformation — ovaries developed and 

 filled with eggs ; month organs ; the 

 wings ; the legs ; the sting — aye, even 

 the size, form and habits, all are mar- 

 vellously changed," — that all this change 

 has been wrought with merely an abun- 

 dance of food, or a day's feeding, this, 

 I say, is not a satisfactory explanation 

 to him, and we find him studying the 

 bee structurally, opening up to us a 

 labyrinth of wonders which has been 

 traced but a short distance toward its 

 most intricate secrets. 



Cheshire quite conclusively shows 

 that larval food, or, at least a portion of 

 it, is a secretion from the lower or head 

 gland, and that this food has the singu- 

 lar power of developing the generative 

 faculty ; but he is silent as to its chem- 

 ical qualities. 



We now turn to Cook, and find, on 

 pages 89 and 117, Dr. A. de Planta 

 quoted as showing from chemical tests 

 that this royal jelly is different from the 

 food of both the worker and drone iai-vse. 



If the royal food is different, as also 

 hinted by other writers, when is it given 

 to the larvce? Doolittle, in class No. 2, 

 says, after 36 hours ; Cheshire, while 

 substantially agreeing with this class, 

 says, on page 289, Vol. 2, "The fact 

 that queens are started from the egg in 

 queen-cells is suggestive ; but in addi- 

 tion it is noticeable that the amount of 

 food given in the queen-cup exceeds 

 that supplied to a worker even in the 

 initial steps." And on page 290, "The 

 larvae sliould be intended by the nurses 

 for a queen from the beginning." Cook, 

 ABC, and Alley all stand in class No. 

 I, and would agree with the above quo- 

 tation. I, however, find that Mr. Alley, 

 who has been the most strenuous advo- 

 cate of rearing queens from the egg, is 

 tending toward class No. 2 ; for on 

 page 171, last volume of the Api he 

 says, "When eggs are placed in a queen- 

 less colony, the bees will not in all cases 

 immediately commence to feed the larvae 

 for a queen." "We also find Langstroth's 

 Revised" standing with class No. 2. As 

 the case now stands, I find that class 

 No. I are in the majority, both in theory 

 and in practice ; but I also find strong 

 evidence that all classes are not satis- 

 fied with the investigations thus far, and 

 would like still further light. 



That good queens can be reared by 

 both classes is a fact not to be contro- 

 verted ; and I think queen-breeders of 

 every name and nature can show a long 

 list of testimonials. 



But the question ever recurs. Are we 

 rearing the best type of queens? and 

 if not, how shall we do it ? The ques- 

 tion can be answered only by a more 



