August, 1917 



GLEANINGS IN BEK CULTIIKE 



607 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



the comb is sufficiently drawn, the queen 

 begins her work and soon there are new 

 larvaa to nurse as a part of the hive work. 



By the ability to select, man has a won- 

 derful advantage over nature, in that he 

 may accomplish in a short time results that 

 might require centuries to accomplish by 

 chance crossing or by the law of the survival 

 of the fittest. By selecting colonies that are 

 the least inclined to SAvarm, and that are the 

 best honey-gatherers, it is possible to ad- 

 vance the usefulness of the bees, within a 

 comparatively few years, further than they 

 have ever advanced in that line before. It 

 can not be reasonably expected, however, 

 that the inclination for swarming will ever 

 be entirely overcome. 



Redlands, Cal. P. C. Chadwick. 



A Queen-breeder who has Made Good 



It was about 1878 that my father made 

 his stai-t in the bee business. I was only 

 seven, but I remember something of the 

 time he had in making his first transfer 

 from an old box hive to what was then term- 

 ed a patent one, and also how his first 



Italian queen was kilkd in transferring. 

 With the second queen he was more fortu- 

 nate; and noting from Gleanings that a 

 few queens were wanted at the home of the 

 honeybee, he attempted to fill the order. 

 This first efi^ort was a complete failure, as 

 most of the queens died in transit. The 

 second lot fared better and were accorded 

 the highest praise — an order for more of 

 the same kind. 



This first cheek for queens spelled oppor- 

 tunity, and it was immediately decided that 

 all of the bee-money should be set aside as 

 an educational fund; for with his own 

 studies cut short by his response to his 

 country's call he had longed — yea, prayed — 

 that his children might not be deprived of 

 that which he so gi'eatly missed. The re- 

 sults of this fund were most gratifying, for 

 by its means eight children have received 

 either a business or a college training. 

 AVe sometimes lightly remark that we had 

 our education stung into us. 



As his helper in the apiax-y I soon learn- 

 ed that his ideal was to raise the vei-y best 

 queens ; and the thousands of queens he 

 sent out from Coronaca, S. C, bespeak his 

 success in queen-rearing. It is a singular 



J. D. Fooshc and wife, Augusta, Ga., who celebrated their golden-wedding anniversary last December. 



