188 



THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST. 



been unavoidable, but we trust that 

 while we cannot perhaps explain 

 matters satisfactorily, yet that our 

 readers will bear patiently with us. 

 We are laboring under many dis- 

 advantages of which they can know 

 but little, and we are hoping for the 

 time when our labors will be more 

 systematically conducted. We also 

 hope that they will render us all 

 the aid in their power cheerfully 

 and promptly. This will lighten 

 our burdens and encourage us in 

 our work. We are always read}^ 

 to correct all mistakes and explain 

 all matters that do not seem clear. 



A friend sends us the following 

 method of introducing queens, 

 which is very simple and is worthy 

 of the trial. 



" Take a queen cage and cut a 

 piece of muslin the size of the wire 

 cloth which covers one side of the 

 cage, and after removing the wire 

 cloth replace it with this muslin, 

 fastening the same by pasting it 

 down with some thick flour paste. 

 This cage (containing the queen) 

 may then be placed on the tops of 

 the frames near the bees, when 

 they will eat their way into the cage 

 and liberate the queen." 



We would ask our readers to 

 notice Mr. Goodspeed's letter in this 

 number. It sounds like business. 



We clip the following note from 

 the Beeton World : — As several 

 have been asking how to make 

 food for shipping queens or for 

 queen cages, I will give m^^ method. 



Take pulverized loaf sugar, 

 dampen it with honey, allow it to 

 remain in a warm place for twenty- 

 four hours, then mix as much more 

 pulverized sugar with it as will give 

 it a tough, plastic consistency. 

 All the sugar that it will possibly 

 contain by kneading or mixing it 

 may be put in when it is ready for 

 use. I have found it a good i)lan 

 when not needing it immediately. 



to mix as much sugar in the honey 

 as possible, allowing it to stand for 

 days or weeks, as the case may be, 

 when the sugar and honey become 

 thoroughly incorporated, and if too 

 thin when using, a little more dry 

 sugar may be added to stiffen it 

 sufficiently to prevent it running 

 and daubing the queen. When 

 one requires it immediately, a small 

 quantity of honey may be placed in 

 the sugar and mixed, adding sugar 

 until it becomes very stiff, when it 

 is ready for use. — D. A. Jones. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



QUESTIONS BY THE EDITOR. 



1. At what prices cau you afford to 

 sell your houey, both comb and ex- 

 tracted, in order to make it pay? 



2. What proportion of extracted 

 and comb honey shoukl the average 

 beekeeper produce ? 



3. What do you consider the best 

 means for keeping the beekeepers 

 posted regarding the condition of the 

 honey market? 



4. If several swarms shoukl alight 

 in one cluster, what is the most speedy 

 and most effectual means of securing 

 the queens and separating the bees 

 into different colonies? 



5. What do you consider the best 

 method for uniting two or more colo- 

 nies in one? 



6. When yon permit your bees to 

 swarm naturally do you generally give 

 them surplus sections at the time of 

 hiving them. If so, why? and if not, 

 why not? 



ANSWERS BY L. C. ROOT. 



1. After several years of very close 

 observation as to the cost of producing 

 honey, I come to the conclusion that 

 if we are to be reasonably remunerated 

 for our labor we should receive from 

 eiglit to twelve cents for extracted and 

 Jifteen to twenty-two cents for box 

 honey, net at wholesale price, varying 

 according to quality and form of pack- 

 age. 



