1904 



GLEAXIXGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



551 



board nailed on each side, leaving- a crack 

 two or three inches wide in the middle to 

 accommodate thcFe hand-holes. If you have 

 no section- press 3'ou will find it convenient 

 to use something- of this kind in folding 

 them. F. J. Strittmatter. 



Bradley Junction, Pa. 



SHALL HOUSE-APIARIES BE REGARDED AS 

 OBSOLETE? 



I notice with much interest what Mr. 

 Fred H. Loucks says of the house-apiary, 

 in last Gleanings, April 15. Recent ex- 

 periences with me have been such as to 

 place the house-apiarj' in much favor. I 

 think it would be a misfortune if any thing 

 that favors a modern house- apiary should 

 be dropped from a revised edition of the A 

 B C. I believe that the day of the more 

 general use of house-apiaries is fast ap- 

 proaching, especially in cold climates. I 

 shall be glad if Mr. Loucks' advice is 

 heeded. L. C. Root. 



Stamford, Conn., April 28. 



[ I possibly gave a wrong impression re- 

 garding matter that appears or does not ap- 

 pear in our new A B C of Bee Culture on the 

 general subject of house apiaries. At Mr. 

 Salisbury's request we omitted all reference 

 to his particular house, but left in the other 

 matter, all of which might be considered 

 quite favorable to the house-apiary. We 

 have since received reports from others who 

 have been using the Salisbury building, 

 and who are much pleased with it. I am 

 not sure but that a part of this matter re- 

 lating to the Salisbury house apiary will 

 have to be reinstated in some future edition 

 of the ABC. In the meantime I should be 

 glad to hear from others of our readers. I 

 should, perhaps, explain that Mr. Root is 

 also the author of a bee- book, a very excel- 

 lent one, and one of the veterans in our bee- 

 ranks. His opinion on any question should 

 have some weight. — Ed.] 



COPULATION OR FERTILIZATION MORE THAN 

 ONCE — WHICH? 



The article from the pen of Prof. Frank 

 Benton on page 385, on the mating of a 

 queen more than once, is certainly very in- 

 teresting; but in the cases mentioned it 

 seems hardly to answer the question, " Does 

 a queen mate more than once?" What is 

 usually understood by this question is, does 

 a queen that has mated and been laying 

 until the eggs become unfertile, mate again? 



The cases cited rather go to show copula- 

 tion without fertilization till the last act is 

 performed; so, also, in the case noted by 

 Mr. Baier, on the following page. There 

 seems to have been serious interruption of 

 the natural functions, so that it can scarce- 

 ly be said that there was more than one 

 mating. Is it not possible that a queen 

 might meet a drone incapable of producing 

 fertilization? Shall the male bee be made 

 an exception to the rule as we find it among 

 others of the animal kingdom? This is cer- 



tainly an interesting subject for thought, 

 and will be likely to attract the attention 

 of those who are making a careful study of 

 the occupants of the hive. 



W. M. Whitney. 

 Lake Geneva, Wis., April 19. 



[The point you raise is one worthy of con- 

 sideration. Perhaps Prof. Benton can en- 

 lighten us further. — Ed.] 



A NORMAL QUEEN THAT LAID EGGS ON THE 

 SIDE OF THE CELL. 



On page 377, in regard to queens not be- 

 ing able to lay eggs in the bottom of the 

 cell, I had a very large queen that laid 

 eggs on the side of the cells, and I slic d 

 ofl" a part of the cells so that they were only 

 one- third the original depth, and the queen 

 laid the eggs in the bottom of the cells, and 

 the eggs were matured and capped over all 

 right. I think there are many of the most 

 valuable queens that are discarded on ac- 

 count of the cells being too small for the 

 nicest and largest queens to use on account 

 of the very smill cells. 



As long as the queen-breeders aim to get 

 the largest queens possible, there has not 

 been any desire or much thought given to 

 making the cells larger to accommodate 

 their size. If you ever have a queen that 

 lays eggs on the side of the cells, give her 

 some larger comb and she will lay them in 

 the bottom of the cells all right. 



Eagle Grove, la. C. K. Carter. 



[The case described is not common. The 

 great majority of queens that lay eggs on 

 the sides of the cells are not good for any 

 thing. If their eggs hatch at all they will 

 develop into drones. Our large experience 

 in queen-rearing has shown this to be the 

 rule. — Ed.] 



FOUNDATION SMELLING OF KEROSENE; CAN 

 IT BE USED? 



Having had the misfortune to have some 

 kerosene get on some of my foundation, and 

 not knowing what to do with it, I thought I 

 would write you about it. It seems to evap- 

 orate, but the foundation has a flowery ap- 

 pearance. Do you think it can be used, or 

 must it first be purified with acid? 



Bees are in good condition; temperature 

 rather low, ranging from 45 below to 20 

 above since Oct, 15; no flight since. 



Dorchester, Wis., Feb. 19. Wm. Ueck. 



[I do not think the kerosene will hurt 

 your foundation. Give it to the bees, any 

 way, this summer. If they refuse to touch 

 this, and take other foundation, let us hear 

 from you further. — Ed.] 



DO OUEEN- EXCLUDING HONEY- BOARDS RE- 

 TARD WORK IN COMB-HONEY SUPERS? 



I have been a reader of Gleanings for 

 18 years, off and on, and I should like to 

 ask one question through it ; and that is 1 his : 

 Does it retard the bees from working in the 



