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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi 



2. The colony whose queen piped last 

 summer, 1 examined in February, and there 

 were 8 queen-cells started, looking as if 

 started last year. There was a laying 

 queen in the hive, and about three double 

 handfuls of bees. Why were those queen- 

 cells started ? When do you think they 

 were built ? M. W. G. 



Bankston, Ala. 



Answers.— 1. It would be hard to tell. 

 Perhaps one of mixed blood. 



2. In almost any hive that has been occu- 

 pied a year or more, you will find these 

 queen-cell cups. Without any seeming 

 reason for it, the bees start a lot of queen- 

 cells, and then go no farther than the start. 

 They may be used some time in the future 

 as queen-cells, and they may not. 



Italianizing and Transferring. 



1. I am a beginner in the handling of 

 bees. My bees are the common blacks, and 

 my hives the old-fashiond box-hives. I 

 should like to change to Italians by intro- 

 ducing queens. Can it be donej 



2. Can I successfully change my bees to 

 movable-frame hives ? O. B. G. 



Ft. Fairfield, Me. 



Answers. — Certainly; hundreds have 

 done it successfully. Read up thoroughly 

 in a good text-book, then go carefully to 

 work. You will find full instructions in 

 the books, and by the time you have the 

 matter well studied, it will be time to 

 transfer. Changing the queens may be 

 done later. 



Honey- Yielding Plants and Trees. 



1. Is alfalfa a honey-plant ? Also are 

 sanfoin and Chinese hybrid catalpa honey- 

 yielders ? Which is best ? 



2. How many colonies of bees can work 

 profitably on an acre of each of the above- 

 named plants and trees ? Also, how many 

 colonies can work on an acre of alsike ? 



Meadow, Wash. Mrs. B. B. 



Answers. — 1. Alfalfa and sanfoin are 

 good honey-plants. In some places they 

 rely almost wholly on alfalfa for the heavy 

 crops they obtain. I don't know anything 

 about Chinese hybrid catalpa. Probably 

 alfalfa is the best of those you mention. 



2. I don't know. And I'm afraid you'll 

 never find out. The only thing I remember 

 to have seen in the way of a definite state- 

 ment as to what could be obtained by bees 

 from a given territory was a statement by 

 the lamented Quinby, that an acre of buck- 

 wheat would yield 25 pounds of honey in a 

 a day, but I don't know upon what data he 

 based his assertion. But he didn't say how 

 many bees it would take to gather the 25 

 pounds. Possibly three or four colonies 

 would do it. 



CONDUCTED BY 



MRS. JENNIE ATCHLEY, 



Beeville, Texas. 



Profitable Bee-Keeping — Introduction 



Farmer's I^e-^v <Miii«le — see page 517. 



Friends: — As promised, I shall novs' 

 try in my poor, humble way to teach 

 you how to manage your bees, to make 

 them a source of profit to yon. I am 

 not wasting my time here under the 

 shade of this live-oak tree, to try to tell 

 you how to keep bees for pleasure only, 

 but to explain to you, as best I can, and 

 in as short a manner, how to manage 

 bees to derive a profit ; and to do this, I 

 know of no way better than to begin at 

 the foot, or first colony, and carry you 

 clear through my 20 years of practical 

 as well as profitable bee-keeping, as a 

 successful honey-producer, as well as a 

 successful queen-rearer. I am going to 

 endeavor to give it all to you, as nearly 

 as I can, from one colony to 1,000 col- 

 onies, and how 1 attained my success. 



You probably know that I am the 

 largest queen-breeder in the ivorld to- 

 day ; now running over 1,500 nuclei, 

 together with three out-yards of full 

 colonies to supply my customers, and I 

 shall try to interest you by telling how I 

 manage all this business of queen-rear- 

 ing. And now, as I have made both 

 queen-rearing and honey-production a 

 success for 20 years, I feel safe in ask- 

 ing you to follow me. 



There are many patent hives and clap- 

 traps that work well with no bees in 

 them. There are many highly-polished 

 and flowery theories that work well on 

 paper — but not in the apiary. But what 

 I am going to give you is practical ex- 

 perience, that works well a"nd pays in 

 the bee-yard. 



Now, as I am sitting between two 

 large colonies of Italian bees, and listen- 

 ing to their sweet and gentle hum this 

 beautiful April day, with the birds sing- 

 ing, and all Nature smiling around me, 

 I close this little preface, and begin with 

 our work as follows. Now let us all 

 give close attention. 



