OCTOBER 1, 1914 



771 



4. To reduce tlie cost of the implements 

 needed, such as honey-packages, etc. 



5. To classify honey and wax, establish- 

 ing different grades. 



6. To acquire the more important books 

 and periodicals dealing with beekeeping, 

 translating into the Spanish language all 

 of the points which may be of interest, to 

 be published in the form of booklets. 



7. To endeavor to obtain all possible in- 

 formation regarding the markets for the 

 sale of honey and wax. 



8. To study and promote industries in 

 Puerto Rico in which honey and wax are 

 used. 



9. To enforce and strengthen the laws 

 regarding the importation of bees. 



10. To take steps to have laws passed 

 prohibiting the importation of honey, and 

 which, after having been re-exported from 

 this country, is considered as honey coming 

 from Puerto Rico. 



11. To study the feasibility of formmg 

 an association, composed exclusively of the 

 members of the Puerto Rico Beekeepers' 

 Association, which will handle the honey 

 and wax produced by the members of the 

 association. 



12. To incorporate the association with 

 the National Beekeepers' Association of 

 the United States. 



13. To give a course of lectures and in- 

 struction in the different cities. 



14. To establish friendly relations with 

 all of the beekeepers' associations in the 

 world. 



Second — The association will be formed 

 by all of those who are actively engaged 

 in the culture of bees in Puerto Rico and 

 those desiring to co-operate with us. 



Third — The association is formed for a 

 term of ten years, which may be extended 

 for another ten years, and shall be guided 

 by the statutes and by-laws adopted. 



Fourth — The expenses shall be defrayed 

 by the dues collected from members, as well 

 as with the donations and subscriptions 

 that may be received. 



Fifth — The association shall be known 

 as "The Puerto Rico Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion," and shall have its legal residence at 

 Ponce, Puerto Rico. 



Officers: J. W. Van Leenhoff, Pres. ; 

 Manuel R. Mejia, Vice-Pres. ; Miss Antonia 

 Clavel, Treas. 



THE MODERN INCUBATOE AS A QUEEN-HATCHEE 

 Imti'odleciing Virgin Qmieeiis 



BY J. E. HAND 



Some time ago, in answer to an inquiry, 

 ye editor made a statement to the effect that 

 artificial incubation has no place in modern 

 methods of queen-rearing. Believing that 

 such a statement, emanating from so high 

 an authority, might create a wrong impres- 

 sion concerning an implement that we have 

 learned to regard as an indispensable ad- 

 junct to a queen-rearing establishment, I 

 will endeavor to give a few of the reasons 

 why we favor a modern incubator as a 

 queen-hatcher. 



We have learned to regard a correct and 

 uniform incubating temperature as one of 

 the most important factors in successful 

 queen-rearing. While the variation of tem- 

 perature under which embryo queens will 

 continue to exist, and finally emerge from 

 the cell several days after schedule time, an 

 imperfect queen, is wide indeed, it is 

 equally evident that the highest develop- 

 ment is attained only under particularly 

 narrow and well-defined limits. Hence it is 

 clear that any method by which a correct 

 incubating temperature is maintained with- 

 out a single degree of variation, and free 

 from disturbing elements, will have a long 



advantage in rearing queens of the highest 

 development. 



The demands upon the commercial queen- 

 breeder are exorbitant, since he is expected 

 to be able to rear good queens in spite of 

 the inclemency of the weather; and if he 

 expects to maintain his reputation, he 

 should adopt the methods that will enable 

 him to meet the expectations of his patrons. 

 During the spring and autumn months, 

 when the nights, and sometimes the days, 

 are cold, it is next to impossible to main- 

 tain a correct temperature with queen-cells 

 in nursery cages in a cell-building colony, 

 where the heat center must needs be monop- 

 olized by freshly grafted larvae. On such 

 occasions as this it is a comfort to the 

 queen-breeder to know that the incubator 

 will maintain a uniform temperature re- 

 gardless of external conditions. 



For these reasons, as well as others that 

 we might mention, all our queens were 

 hatched in separate nursery cages in a big 

 Cyphers incubator, the same as we use for 

 hatching chicks, under a temperature of 97 

 degrees. While this is about 2 degrees 

 higher than that of ordinarv brood-cham- 



