THE AMEIUCAN AIUCULTUJU.S'J. 



225 



the several editions of the lieekeepers' 

 llandy IJook, notwithstanding the tact 

 that luuKheds of people have visited the 

 Kay State Apiary and seen these doubt- 

 tul things in actual operation. 



The plan for having the bees build 

 (lueen cells as hinted on the foregoing 

 pages and which have been practised 

 so many years by some of the best queen 

 dealers, is really the only one that comes 

 nearest to nature in any degree outside 

 of natural swarming. In fact, many of 

 the (}ueens reared by my methods are 

 superior to those reared under the 

 swarming impulse. 'I'his, of course, some 

 few people will doubt, yet the queens 

 can be produced that will speak foi- 

 themselves. 



1 have no idea that all who read this 

 work will agree with me in all that is 

 claimed. That would be too much to 

 expect. Yet what is herein stated is 

 worthy of the attention of those who 

 keep bees either for pleasure or profit. 

 I am giving no theory, but actual facts. 



Rearing queens by large quantities. 



^Vhile the first plan given here for pro- 

 ducing queens relates more particularly 

 to rearing them on a /arge scale, never- 

 theless it will be found one of the best, 

 even though only a small number of 

 queens are to be reared. 



Many of those who will read this have 

 l)een made accjuainled through the 

 " Handy Book " with the details of pre- 

 paring the combs and eggs for starting 

 cells, yet it is necessary to give them 

 again, as hundreds of those who now read 

 the American Apiculturist do not have 

 the least idea regarding the best meth- 

 ods practised for rearing queens. 



Preparing the comb and eggs for queen 



. cells; necessary tools and fixtures 



to have at hand. 



When ready to set the bees to build- 

 ing cells, one of the combs that was re- 

 moved from the hive in which the 

 breeding queen is kept, is taken to a 



warm room which had been previously 

 prepared for quickly doing the necessary 

 work. There is at hand an oil-stove, 

 and an iron pan, say one that is twelve 

 inches long, six inches wide and not 

 less than three inches deep, in which 

 is a quantity of beeswax and rosin, which 

 should be sufficiently heated to have the 

 material mix thoroughly. 



An old table-knife, one having a very 

 thin blade and made quite sharp is one 

 of the most convenient and handy tools 

 that I have in the apiary. This is used 

 for cutting foundation or comb of any 

 kind. A knife for such a purpose will 

 work nicely if warmed. 



KiG. 4. Comb rinituhiinfi I'ddS. 



A quantity of hot water should be at 

 hand to dip the knife in occasionally. 

 When not convenient to have the water, 

 the blade of the knife may be warmed 

 by the blaze of a kerosene lamp. 



Now we are ready to cut the comb 

 from the frame. Bear in mind that the 

 last eggs deposited by the queen are 

 those near the edge of the comb, and in 

 order not to take them, the comb is cut 

 half an inch from the frame. After warm- 

 ing the knife again, tlie comb is cut in 

 strips through each alternate row of cells 

 as indicated by the lines in fig. 4. 

 When this has been done the pieces are 

 laid flatwise upon a board, or on the ta- 

 ble, and about half of the cell is cut off 

 as illustrated farther on. The knife 

 should be very warm and sharp, or the 

 ends of the cells would be made so rag- 

 ged that the bees would be apt to re- 

 move the comb entire and no cells would 

 i)e made. 



[To he cotUinned.] 



