AMERICAN BEE JOUMAL. 



EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY W. F. CLARKE, CHICA^O^ ILL. 



AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. 



Vol. IX. 



JULY^, 1 87^3. 



No. 1. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Novice. 



Mr. Editor : — We feel it no more than our 

 duty to say a few words in favor of "Novice," 

 as he has been so often accused through the 

 columns of your Journal of "putting funds 

 into his own pocket," and "trying to get his 

 hands into others' pockets to get out a dollar," 

 etc. The first start we made towards keeping 

 bees was to purchase Quinby's Mysteries of Bee 

 Keeping Explained, and send $2.00 for the 

 American Bee Journal, one year, through the 

 pages of which we read many interesting arti- 

 cles from its contributors. Being of an inquir- 

 ing disposition, I wrote to many of the 

 contributors, asking questions, and generally 

 enclosed from 10 cents to $1.00 according to 

 questions asked, as a recompense for trouble, 

 etc. Among the number written to were some 

 of those who are calling "Novice" greedy after 

 money, but all of them kept the money sent 

 them, till one day I thought I would write 

 asking "Novice" more questions than I had 

 any other one. I intended to have enclosed 

 $1.00, but found I had nothing except 25 cents, 

 so I enclosed it and let it go. I soon received a 

 satisfactory answer to my questions and the 25 

 cents ; "Novice" stating that he did not know 

 what I wanted for the 25 cents, so he sent it 

 back! Brother bee-keepers, I feel a little like 

 being ashamed of you, not because you kept 

 the money sent you, but because when "Novice" 

 is trying to help others along by first giving a 

 description of the conveniences he uses, and 

 then, if they cannot make them or hire them 

 mude, to sell them to those desiring at a riason- 

 able compensation, you have so much fault to 

 find with him. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Borodino, N. Y., June 20, '73. 



P. S. — Bees doing finely now ; locust, white 

 and red clover in lull bloom. Bees work about 

 alike on each. 



Q. M. D. 



[Translated from the Benenzeitung. 



Eenewing and Impregnating Queens. 



As the prosperity of the hive depends upon 

 the fertility of the queen, one of the weightiest 

 matters coming under the attention of the bee- 

 keeper, is to have none but productive and per- 

 fectly healthy queens in the stocks he desires 

 to preserve through the winter 



Too old or otherwise defective queens must 

 be removed, young and healthy ones being sub- 

 stituted in their place,or, stock wholly destroyed. 

 Owners of a large numt)er of stocks would do 

 well to mark on the hive the age of the queen. 

 One year and two year old queens can winter 

 profitable, if they still show themselves to be 

 productive, but three and especially four years 

 old, are too aged. In all probability they will 

 fail the following spring, at the very time, when 

 their brood would be most needed and the stock 

 will bring little or no profit. 



If one is in the position to substitute for the 

 old queen, after the lapse of a few days, a 3 oung 

 and fertile queen, the operation need not be 

 limited to any particular s( asonof theyear, and 

 he will do well to remove a queen unfit for the 

 performance of her duties, if he is in position to 

 substitute a better in her stead. Last summer I 

 divided a stock in a log hive, taking therefrom 

 a large swarm. I had two objects in view; 1st, 

 to obtain a new swarm; 2nd, and more espe- 

 cially, to substitute for the old queen, an ex- 

 tremely beautiful and fertile Italian qneen. Not- 

 withstanding I had driven nearly all the bees 

 out I could not g( t the queen. After a time I 

 opened at hazard tliis same stock, and found the 

 queen on the first comb. Naturally, I at once 

 removed her, and after the lapse of a few days 

 gave them another and thus accomplished my 

 first object. 



Especially on warm days queens l^ave for a 

 time the brood comb where tlie greatest beat is, 

 and seek the cool portion of the hive near the 

 door. Opening the hive* and without loss of 

 time or great disturbance removing the combs 



*The Dkierzon hive is here alluded to. 



