PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE W. T FALCONER MANFG CO 



VOL. I. 



SEPTEMBER, 1891 



NO. 9. 



How can we Elevate the 

 Standard of our Bees? 



BY E. L. PRATT. 



Almost every bee-keeper knows 

 there are always one or two colonies 

 in his yard which lead all the others 

 in many ways. Eor instance: here 

 is a stock that has stood the test for 

 two years. They winter well, build 

 up early and are ready for the boxes 

 by the opening of the white clover 

 every time, and when the boxes are 

 put in they are not slow about occu- 

 pying them. They work early and 

 late and generally fill from two to 

 three cases from clover and bass wood. 

 Nearly all the good traits of our bees 

 are transmitted through the drone. 

 Therefore no drone should be allowed 

 to rly excepting those from such a col- 

 ony as the one above described. In 

 the spring (or the fall previous) select 

 the colonies that have given the best 

 results and supply them with a good 

 number of drone cells near the en- 

 trance of the brood chamber, so as to 

 have drones on the fly as early as pos- 

 sible. If there are more than two col- 

 onies giving good results supply them 

 also with drone comb on the outside 

 of the brood nest for a batch of good 

 drones later on in the season. It is 



well to remove all cells of the drone 

 size from the other colonies as far as 

 possible, so as to avoid the production 

 of worthless drones. As soon as swarm- 

 ing commences adjust drone traps to 

 all hives excepting those selected for 

 drone rearing. The zinc used in these 

 traps should have perforations of a 

 size to allow young queens to pass 

 through but hold hack all the inferior 

 drones. Allow the swarming colonies 

 to construct their own cells in the 

 ordinary way, and when the young 

 queens fly out to mate there will be no 

 other drones in the air excepting those 

 selected, and a decided cross with a 

 select stock is the result. 



This is one point gained, and after 

 following up the practice a few seasons 

 a very marked improvement in the 

 capabilities of the bees will be readily 

 noticed. If an extra good colony casts 

 a swarm be sure and save all their 

 good cells, and supercede inferior 

 queens wherever found. It is a good 

 plan to purchase at least one young 

 <|ueen from some reliable breeder each 

 season, not to rear queens from, but 

 to select drones for another season. 

 Color can be infused in this way. By 

 constantly selecting in this manner 

 the standard of the bees is gradually 



