EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. 



Vol. IV. 



MAY, 18G9. 



No. 11. 



iTranslated for the Bee Journal. 1 

 Convention of German Beekeepers, at 

 Darmstadt, September, 1868. 



[Further asd Final Sketch.] 



On the morning of the second day, after a 

 somewhat protracted preliminary discussion, it 

 was decided hy the Convention that, as com- 

 pensation for making public his method of se- 

 curing the pure fertilization of queen bees, the 

 Rev. "Mr. Kohler was entitled to receive the 

 contributions of Geiman beekeepers, deposited 

 in the hands of the Editor of the Bienenzeilung. 

 There was much difference of opinion among 

 the members about this matter ; and, though a 

 large majority voted to authorize the payment, 

 several protested strongly against the decision. 



Introduction of Queens. 



The President then presented a letter from 

 Mr. Uhie, communicating a process for the 

 safe and speedy introduction of queen bees — 

 which is substantially as follows : 



Remove the queen of a colony, and feed the 

 bees with diluted sugar water freshly scented 

 with grated nutmeg. When the bees have 

 freely partaken of this, dip the queen intended 

 to be introduced into the scented solution, and 

 immediately set her at liberty among the bees 

 on a brood comb. 



This should be done in the evening, just be- 

 fore dusk, because the bees are then naturally 

 more disposed to accept an offered stranger 

 than earlier in the day; and because the odor of 

 the scented sugar Avater might attract robbers, if 

 fed either in the morning or at noon. 



The queen is to be dipped into the scented 

 sugar water, primarily to impart the same smell 

 which the bees have acquired from it ; but like- 

 wise to tame and subdue her, so that she may 

 not act wildly and try to escape when introduced 

 among the bees, but be as it were constrained 

 to accept the caresses and homage of her new 

 subjects. 



When introducing a queen, she should not be 

 seized or held by her wings, but be grasped 

 gently by the thorax with the thumb and fore- 



finger. A queen held by the wings is apt to 

 struggle and rush rashly among and over the bees 

 when let go, and thus deporting herself as a 

 stranger, she incurs the risk of being regarded 

 and treated as such by the bees, and may be 

 either mutilated or killed. 



If the bees are in top-opening hives, the 

 scented sugar water may be poured directly into 

 the cells of one side of every partially empty 

 comb, and the feeding and scenting of them 

 may thus be promptly effected, even while the 

 operator is searching for the queen intended to 

 be removed. 



This process of course admits of variations 

 and modifications, such as will readily suggest 

 themselves to intelligent beekeepers. 



The fourth and fifth questions in regular 

 course, were not taken up for discussion, as their 

 proposers did not happen to be in attendance. 



The sixth questioo, relating to the production 

 of hermaphrodite bees, elicited some remarks 

 from Prof. Leuckart and Mr. Dzierzon, which 

 we pass over, as the subject is one of little im- 

 portance in practical beeculture. The considera- 

 tion of questions 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and la, was like- 

 wise postponed by the Convention, from want of 

 time, or for other reasons, and the thirteenth 

 question was taken up. This was an inquiry 

 whether experience had demonstrated the 

 superior value of movable combs in beecul- 

 ture, and what influence the invention of the 

 honey-emptying machine was likely to exert on 

 this pursuit. 



Dr. Pollman remarked that the first branch of 

 the question could no longer be properly 

 brought up for discussion in a general conven- 

 tion of beekeepers, inasmuch as bee culture had 

 already reached a point in its progress far in ad- 

 vance of the position which it occupied when 

 movable combs were introduced — and solely be- 

 cause of such introduction. The subject was 

 no longer debateable, since we have on every 

 hand the evidet ce of facts showing what can 

 be accomplished by the use of such means, and 

 what is unattainable without them. 



The honey-emptying machine was highly ex- 

 tolled, as the complementary invention which 

 placed within reach of the beekeeper a supply of 

 empty combs, which the movable comb system 



