THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST. 



209 



am not willing to risk niy property 

 interest in tbat way. 



I introduce 013- queens on top of 

 the frames caged, and arranged so 

 that I can raise the quilt and ob- 

 serve the action of the workers 

 towards the queen. If they clus- 

 ter about the cage with raised 

 ■wings and make a hissing sound I 

 just leave them to vent their wrath 

 all alone, and wiien they quiet 

 down and move about the cage in 

 a listless way, as tliough a queen 

 was doing duty among them, I 

 know the queen can be safely lib- 

 erated. I now reuiovc tlie stopper 

 to the food department, and leave 

 the bees to remove the soft camly 

 and receive the queen among theui 

 when the bees are alone and undis- 

 turbed. The secret is told in a few 

 words : reconciliation to the queen, 

 and her reception when the bees 

 are all alone and not excited from 

 any cause. I make all my ca^es 

 suitable for this metliod of intro- 

 ducing, but any cage will answer, 

 if the bees can liberate the queen 

 at the will of the apiarist, by eat- 

 ing out a plug of soft candy, and 

 thus opening her prison door. 

 Christiansbu rg^ Ky. 



^eiEiMg, 



Answers by Practical Apiarists. 



PACKING HIVES FOR WINTER. 



Query No. 28. 1. Is packing with chaflf 

 or other dry muierial really necessary dming 

 the wniter in hives that have dimble-vvalls ? 

 3. Does not tlie packing absorb and retain 

 moistuie, thus ki'eping the hive cold aiul 

 damp ail the time? A. Would it not be better 

 to leave llie space between the outer and in- 

 ner hives unpacked till the Hist of April and 

 then pack and cover all up warm in order to 

 retain the animal heat generated by the bees ? 



J. D. D. 



ANSWERS BY JAMES HEDDON. 



l.^Yes. 



2. No, not if the packing is 

 properly protected. 

 '6. No, sir. 

 16 



ANSWERS Br R. L. TAYLOR. 



1. Yes, in order to secure the 

 greatest success. 



2. Yes, if the packing is im- 

 properly done. 



3. No, 



ANSWERS BY DR. G. L. TINKER. 



1. I think it is. 



2. The moisture is driven to the 

 top of the packing which is usu- 

 ally damp or wet. The covers of 

 chaff-hives should be taken off on 

 pleasant days in winter. 



3. It is better to pack the hives 

 in the fall, in all cases of out-door 

 wintering in double-walled hives. 



ANSWERS BY G. W. DEMAREE. 



1 . It would depend on the cli- 

 mate I should think. 



2. The packing would not make 

 a chaff-hive any worse than it is. 

 It is a mean thing any wa^^ and 

 could not be made worse. I would 

 prefer a single-walled hive, though 

 it required a little more labor to 

 protect it by "■ packing" in the 

 winter months. 



ANSWERS BY P. R. RUSSELL. 



1. Packing is a benefit in double- 

 wall hives, but the}' will usually 

 winter without it all right. But I 

 think I would have at least a good 

 chaff-cushion or its equivalent on 

 top of frames. 



2. If the hive does not absorb 

 dampness from without, through 

 imperfect construction, there will 

 be no dampness to do any harm. 

 The packing becomes useless or 

 harmful in proportion to the moist- 

 ure it contains. 



3. I should prefer to pack them 

 in the fall, but would pack them in 

 April rather than not at all. Doubt- 

 less the protection it affords is more 

 valuable in spring as breeding ad- 

 vances. 



