NOVEMBER 1, 1916 



1037 



thing ready beforehand) did not take two 

 minutes from pinching the old queen 's head 

 until the supers were back on the hive; and 

 there have been since not enough dead be- 

 fore the hive to be noticed. I have not been 

 able to figure the answer, but these are the 

 facts. 



The colony first mentioned having stored 

 but little last season, and not promising 

 much for this, was requeened at the same 

 time and in the same way. 



This plan of introducing seems to promise 

 well, is practicable for anybody, and as 

 simple as can be. There is no "psychologi- 

 cal moment," nor is there any necessity for 

 any special experience or facility of judg- 

 ment. 



Lyndhurst, N. J. B. Keep. 



broken me from giving a colony a comb with 

 eggs when I am introducing a queen unless 

 I introduce by some other way than the cage 

 method, and immediately after the hive has 

 become queenless. 



Indianapolis, Ind. J. F. Kight. 



Why Did They Do It? 



Bees sometimes do queer things. I dis- 

 covered, on going thru hive No. 19 that it 

 was hopelessly queenless, with not a cell of 

 brood in any stage, and thinking it might 

 have a virgin queen (which is not likely 

 with no brood) I gave a frame of brood in 

 all stages from the egg up, and within a few 

 days there were 22 queen-cells well under 

 way. 



I at once sent for an untested Italian 

 queen, which came by return mail in fine 

 condition. I opened the hive, lifted out the 

 frame of brood, shook about all the bees off, 

 then cut out all queen-cells visible, replaced 

 the frame of brood with the brood about all 

 sealed, placed the cage with the queen and 

 attendants on top of the frames, and closed 

 the hive. 



In 24 hours I examined the cage, thinking 

 possibly they would have the pasteboard 

 eaten away; but they had not done so. I 

 removed it as per instructions, and as for- 

 merly done, and closed the hive for one 

 week. I then removed the cage and found 

 the queen laying well. 



About one week after she commenced to 

 lay I found in front of the hive for three 

 consecutive mornings an aggregate of five 

 virgin queens. This satisfied me of two 

 things: That I had overlooked queen-cells, 

 and that the introduced queen had been ac- 

 cepted. 



Now listen: Just 14 days after I placed 

 this queen in the hive I found her dead in 

 front of the hive; and upon examination I 

 found that she had almost filled two frames 

 with eggs which were in about all stages of 

 development. There was an inferior virgin 

 queen running on the combs. Why in the 

 name of common sense would they destroy 

 this beautiful laying queen and accept an 

 inferior virgin that might never lay? and 

 where did this virgin come from so late? 

 The old brood was too old to make a queen 

 from, even an inferior one, and the new 

 queen had not been in the hive long enough 

 for a virgin to have been raised from the 

 brood. 



So I say bees do queer things. This has 



A Systematic Advertising Campaign. 



The following editorial is a sample of 

 what I furnish each of the local papers 

 weekly. Each week during the year I get 

 out a news item in different form. The cost 

 of this is trifling, for I furnish each editor 

 with honey free, and in return they put in 

 my clippings or notices. Under this system 

 of advertising, my sales run about four 

 times greater than they were before. 



The busy little honeybee is about the only mundane 

 creature that hasn't taken advantage of the war in 

 Europe to loaf on the job and thus cause an advance 

 in price of its product. Beef and pork are almost 

 out of sight, and never in history has the price of 

 eggs been the case this year. Pew people realize the 

 food value of honey or it would be more extensively 

 used on the table. It is the most important and 

 liealthful food product known to mankind, and is the 

 only thing that has not kept pace with the high cost 

 of living on account of an abundant local crop. 

 .lust think of a full gallon of twelve pounds for only 

 $1.25, and this will provide the system with more 

 nourishment than twice the amount of any other 

 diet, it being' a digested sweet. Everybody should 

 take a svs^it at the high cost of living by buying 

 honey. 



I also furnish the iT;iinisters of the city 

 with honey free, and they help to boost 

 sales among the country people. 



Three to six girls, twelve to fourteen years 

 old, canvass the small rural towns. I pay 

 them a commission of 15 per cent. 



I have already sold 600 gallons of honey, 

 besides about 1000 pounds of comb honey. 



Humboldt, Neb. J. L. Gandv. 



Yes, Furnish the Papers the Truth. 



Enclosed is a clipping from the Cincinnati 

 Post. On account of various explanations 

 given, I sent in a more definite statement. 

 When the daily papers once become inter- 

 ested in bees I think it a good idea to get 

 a lot of free advertising by giving a bee- 

 keeper's views. 



WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BEES? 



An argument has been raised regarding the habits 

 of the bee. We were asked whether it ever sought 

 honey from red clover. A farmer asstired us that it 

 did not, the honey in red clover being out of its 

 reach. A subscriber writes that the Italian bees are 

 able to penetrate the red clover for honey, but that 

 tlie black bees do not. Has any one else any infor- 

 mation to give about this? 



In many ways honey is now used in ])lace 

 of sugar. As a small producer I have now 

 more orders than at this time any other year. 

 It seems that people are becoming more in- 

 terested; but we must produce a good ripe 

 article. This counts. If people are once 

 misled it will take a long time to convince 

 them to the contrary. 



Cincinnati, 0. Henry Eeddert. 



