238 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[For tbe American Bee Journal.] 



Queens Mating Twice. 



Mr. Editor : — My unfortunate articles on 

 tliis subject have called clown so much criticism, 

 both public and private, that I have been de- 

 terred from adverting to it again till this late 

 day, for fear that I might be in error in regard 

 to the position which Ithen assumed. But after 

 having carefully considered the subjectin all its 

 bearings, and collated all the evidence in my 

 power, on both sides of the question, I am more 

 firmly than ever convinced that I was then 

 right; and that queens do not mate but once — 

 using the term mate in the sense of copulation 

 resuming in impregnation. 



Were this otherwise, what guarantee has any 

 one of raising pure Italians in a section of coun- 

 try where the native bee exists, even though he 

 use imported queens exclusively? For if queens 

 will mate more than once, may notthe imported 

 lady so demean herself, as on some sunny day 

 to leave her hive on an amatory excursion, in a 

 locality where black drones only are to be met? 

 This conclusion must legitimately follow, for if 

 she will leave the hive once (or even more 

 times, as some affirm) after impregnation has 

 taken place, who of us can place a limit to her 

 excursions, or define the time when she will not 

 so do ? Nor is the liability in the lea-t degree 

 lessened, even if imported queens are relied on; 

 for, of course, the same rule applies to them as 

 to their daughters. 



When the question first came up, I foresaw 

 what the result would be; and that perhaps 

 many part'es would be deterred from buying 

 American bred queens, fearing that their purity 

 might be impaired by successive marital flights. 

 Of course such at first thought they would " go 

 in" for imported queens, believing that these 

 were not liable to the same rule ; and this idea 

 has been distinctly inculcated by parties direct- 

 ly interested in the selling of imported stocks, 

 as probably all the readers of the "Journal," 

 have long aeo seen. I do not intend to impugn 

 any one's motives, but the "Journal" is the 

 medium of free express : on of thought, and 

 truth must prevail, no matter how much agita- 

 ted or denied. 



If any one looks at this matter in a physiolo- 

 gical point of view, he will see at once the im- 

 probability, not to say impossibility of twice 

 mating being true. The Allwise Creator has 

 designed that among bees impregnation should 

 take" place high in the air, (this I believe is a 

 conceded fact,) in order probably to guard as 

 much as possible from in-and-in-breeding. 

 Now, as the large size of the queen, and the 

 smallness of her wings, make this a matter of 

 great clanger to her; and as the whole life of the 

 hive depends upon her safety; is it all likely 

 that the laws by which she is governed would al- 

 low her repeatedly to attempt a journey of so 

 much clanger, merely to gratify an amatory de- 

 sire ? No"! I canuot allow any one to disparage 

 the Almighty's evident laws, and to make a 

 wanton of my favorites, without taking up the 

 cudgel in their defence. 



The introduction of the Italian bee has to my 



mind proved the fallacy of the idea which has 

 called out this article; for if an introduced pure 

 queen should mate the second time with the na- 

 tive drone, would we not at once know it ? 

 And, after careful inquiry, I have not been able 

 to find a single case where an impregnated 

 queen has ever voluntarily left her hive, except 

 when she went forth legitimately with a swarm. 

 When any one will prove conclusively that this 

 has ever been the case, then I will admit an 

 error on my part; but till then you will find me 

 adopting the text quoted by Mr. J. Davis — 

 "Prove all things ; hold fast to that which is 

 good." Excuse me, however, if I want them 

 proved. 



As this subject is to my mind one of import- 

 ance, I hope it will be fully ventilated. But 

 give us facts not theories, or else you must not 

 expect me to endorse your views. 



J. E. Pond, Jr. 



Foxboro, (Mass.) May, 18G9. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Sending Queens by Mail. 



Mr. Editor : — As I noticed, in the Bee 

 Journal for January, an illustration of a queen 

 cage, for sending Italian queen bees by mail, 

 I will send you a cage in a few days which you 

 may, if you see fit, illustrate in the Journal. 

 I have been using and perfecting this cage for 

 the past two seasons. It is Ah inches long and 

 1^ inches in diameter. Two pieces of wood 

 are used for the ends, which contain the 

 sponges saturated with honey. Turn the 

 wood (soft pine) in a lathe 1^ inches in diame- 

 ter, and any length convenient; saw it into 

 pieces \\ inches long, boring in each end before 

 sawing off a hole | inch in diameter and f inch 

 deep for the sponges, which are held in place 

 by a common brass pin near each end. 



Iron wire netting, containing about fifteen 

 meshes to the inch, is cut 3^ inches by 4| inches, 

 to cover the whole, and is fastened with three 

 tacks at each end. One end is to be fastened 

 first; then the queen and twelve or fifteen 

 workers are placed therein, closed up, and a 

 a half sheet of note paper is wrapped around 

 and fastened with common thread for the P. O. 

 address. Cut two or three slits in the paper to 

 give the bees air, put on a two cent, sta™p* 

 and they go safe as seed bees ninety-nine times 

 out of a hundred the distance I send them, 

 which is from one hundred to five hundred 

 miles. When away introducing queens, I have 



*It will be seen, bv the following letter from tho First 

 Assistant Postmaster General, that a tiikee cent, post- 

 age stamp must be affixed to these queen cages, when 

 not weighing more than half an ounce, in order to pre- 

 pay the postage : 



Post Office Department, Appotntmknt Office, 

 Washington, December '1$, 18C8. 

 g IR :— In reply to your ictter of tho 2.id instant, I havo 

 to say that under no circumstances can bees put up in 

 ca"-es or boxes be permitted to go in the mail at less than 

 letter rates of postage, viz : threo cents for each half 

 ounce or fraction thereof. 



I am, very respectfully, &c, 



John B S. Skinner, 

 First Assistant Postmaster General. 



