For the American Bee Journal. 



Experience with "The Queen Yard." 



J. M. S. 



The inquiry about a " Queen Yard," 

 on page 152," March number of Bee 

 Jouknal, awakened memories of an 

 odd experience with that same ''con- 

 trivance," a number of years ago. 

 The device was intended to confine the 

 departing queen, in the act of swarm- 

 ing, near the entrance of the hive ; the 

 worker bees and drones being allowed 

 to fly, so that when the bees had re- 

 turned to the hive the queen could also 

 readily return to the brood-nest. 



The " queen yard " was simply a light 

 box about 8 inches long, 5 inches wide 

 and 2 inches deep ; an entrance cut at 

 one end to correspond with the entrance 

 to the hive, so that when the box was 

 placed upon the alighting board in 

 front of the hive, the bees would pass 

 from the hive into the box before tak- 

 ing flight. Strips of glass 2 inches wide 

 were fixed at the top of the box so as to 



Eroject inward from the edges of the 

 ox, the width of the glass, all around, 

 to prevent the queen, her wings being 

 clipped, from getting out and being 

 lost. 



The theory of this invention at the 

 time seemed correct and some sleep was 

 probably lost between the reading of 

 the description and the completion of a 

 properly constructed queen yard. The 

 contrivance was completed and placed 

 at the entrance of a hive whose queen 

 was worth many dollars, and must not 

 be lost, if possible to be prevented. 

 The swarm issued, the queen came forth 

 reluctantly, capered around in that 

 yard awhile and returned safely. How 

 nicely stock in an eminent apiarist went 

 up amazingly ! 



The next day that colony was in the 

 air again, and the valuable queen did 

 not appear, the swarm settled quietly, 

 high in the air, on a hickory limb, just 

 like a second swarm. The valuable 

 queen was dead, a new queen with the 

 swarm and the business of queen-rear- 

 ing going on lively in the parent hive. 



That queen yard was then picked up, 

 sadly, thoughtfully, and somewhat 

 doubtfully, and placed in front of a 

 hive of hybrids " about 60,000 strong 

 which were threatening to swarm every 

 minute. 



In a day or two out came the swarm, 

 pell mell, thousands at a time, tumbling 

 over each other and filling that queen 

 yard full of struggling bees, determined 

 to swarm at all haz irds, and that queen 

 climbed over those bees to terra firma, 

 bound for freedom ; easy enough, plenty 



of bees to walk over and she walked. 

 That queen yard went where so much 

 good material has gone— into kindling 

 wood; like many other inventions i* 

 worked best when the bees were not 

 present. 



As the queen yard was not successful . 

 the inventor need neither be hunted up 

 nor named. He simply made a mistake 

 which he was afterwards swift to correct. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Centennial Exposition at Nashville. 



s. c. DODGE. 



The following are the rules govern- 

 ing entries and exhibits at the Centen- 

 nial Exposition, Nashville, Tenn.: 



1. The building and grounds shall be 

 open for the reception of articles for 

 exhibition on Thursday, April 5, and 

 remain open for the reception of articles 

 until Thursday, April 22. On Friday, 

 April 23, at 7 p.m., the building and 

 grounds will be opened with appropriate 

 ceremonies, and continue open day and 

 night (Sundays excepted) from 10 a.m. 

 to 10 p.m., until Saturday, May 20, 1880. 



2. Applications for space should be 

 made upon the printed forms furnished 

 by the board, and forwarded to B. J. 

 McCarthy, chairman of the committee 

 on classification and assignment of 

 space. 



The above may be of interest to the 

 Tennessee apiarists and supply dealers 

 generally. There are no premiums. It 

 is simply an advertising scheme, and 

 will be a first-rate one. 



I have made application to the board 

 and they have consented to " admit 

 bees in glass cases on exhibition, with 

 a guarantee that they arc safely con- 

 fined If the bee-keepers should wish 



to give premiums, we can accommo- 

 date their display." So says the 

 secretary"- 



Chattanooga, Tenn., March 11, 1880. 



[Mr. Dodge, who is Vice President of 

 the North American Bee-Keepers 1 So- 

 ciety for Tennessee, is evidently push- 

 ing matters vigorously in the right 

 direction. A proper and systematized 

 effort on the part of all the officers of 

 the National Society, assisted by the 

 State, District and Local Societies, will 

 do much in placing bee-keeping where 

 it properly belongs— among the most 

 important interests of the country. 

 Much remains yet to be accomplished, 

 and no time is ever so available as tho 

 present. — Ed.] 



