6(5 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



April 



dent that he does not think all has been 

 told or that there is no room for further 

 improvement, which is so different from 

 the tone of a communication that ap- 

 peared a few months ago from one who 

 would rank as high as a queen-raiser 

 and occupy as warm a place in the hearts 

 of the people, but for his seeming un- 

 willingness for others to differ with him 

 in opinion. In the communication or 

 article referred to there was a strong 

 intimation that nothing new was being 

 brought out and that it was all under- 

 stood, which was calculated to discour- 

 age the timid, whose feeble efforts often 

 bring out ideas that finally assume the 

 forms of permanent improvements. 



Mr. Doolittle says that there is much 

 more that could be said on this subject; 

 and, as he allows one to differ with him 

 without quarrelling, I want to discuss 

 some of his points so as to get at the 

 bottom of the facts. 



In the first place I doubt whether any 

 one can exactly meet the requirements, 

 with the feeder or otherwise, at other 

 times, that exist when bees construct 

 cells naturally ; but when natural con- 

 ditions do exiso in the fields and hives 

 we sometimes think we step ahead of 

 nature, unaided, and this is the time to 

 secure queens of the higliest type with 

 the least work. 



The part I wish to touch upon princi- 

 pally is the construction of natural and 

 artificial cups. According to my ob- 

 servations pre-constructed cups are very 

 frail except the bases, which are, of 

 course, very heavy, if the cups are con- 

 structed on old combs, as described 

 by Mr. Doolittle. The bases vary in 

 shape and size according to conditions, 

 and the mouth of the shallow cup is 

 almost invariably reduced to the size of 

 a worker cell. These cups are slightly 

 drawn out, but the openings kept about 

 the same size, when prepared for the 

 reception of the eggs, as well as often 

 being provided with a gluey-looking 

 substance at the bottom. As soon as 

 the egg hatches the cell is increased in 



size and length so that the larva is a 

 bee's length from the mouth all the 

 time. During the time of development 

 the cell is made heavy and strong, and 

 not before the egg is deposited. Many 

 times in early spring unfavorable 

 weather prevents swarming after pre- 

 parations are made, the cells are 

 destroyed and, while others may be con- 

 structed on the return of good weather, 

 around and about the heavy, thick bases 

 of those destroyed, I have yet to note a 

 case in which the old, thick base of the 

 once mature cell has been used again. 

 How bees increase the size of a cell in- 

 side or enlarge a worker-cell before 

 building a queen-cell over it without 

 first cutting it away, I have not learned, 

 but have noticed that they prefer new- 

 comb, and suppose it is because 

 it is more easily stretched. In such 

 cases the larva is floated out and 

 fed sufficiently after the larger portion 

 of the cell is reached, not to be cramped 

 in reaching the last meal. Still. I do 

 not like this plan of securing queens. 



Some colonies build larger cells than 

 others, depending somewhat on the size 

 of the bees, and for this reason very, 

 large hybrids are preferable, as they 

 more often furnish large and long cells, 

 instead of very long small ones, or very 

 siiort large ones, as is often the case 

 with pure breeds or races. 



Mr. Doolittle puts much stress on 

 liaving large bases, which might be 

 necessary if the larva consumed all the 

 f((od given, but the smaller the l>;ise the 

 longer the resulting cell ; and 1 would 

 be glad if those who know would inform 

 me how long after the cell is sealed be- 

 fore the last meal is taken? If shallow, 

 thin artificial cups be used, the bec^s 

 shape them to their liking and often at- 

 tempt it by cutting away the heavy long, 

 large ones — made heavy for man's con- 

 venience in handling — and everyon*- 

 must form his own ideas as to which 

 mere nearly conforms to nature. When 

 we have queens reared in blocks, we 

 iriust have the holes in tiie bhicks large 



