AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



539 



no time be lost, I will suggest that he 

 go to the Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion at Ames, Iowa, and make the ex- 

 periment under the supervision of Pro- 

 fessors James Wilson, C. F. Curtis and 

 L. H. Pammel, and I will accept their 

 decision in the matter, and pay over the 

 money whenever they have decided that 

 Mr. Faylor has demonstrated his posi- 

 tion. 



In order that there may be no hesi- 

 tancy on the part of Mr. Faylor, I will 

 execute a bond with three of the best 

 men of Centerville, as surety, for the 

 faithful fulfilment of my part of the 

 contract, whenever Mr. Faylor produces 

 satisfactory evidence, on his part, that 

 he will proceed with the demonstration. 



G. B. RErLOGLE. 



Centreville, Iowa, Oct. 3, 1892. 



Introducing Queens. 



My best way of introducing queens is 

 thus : 



Put the queen into a cage of perforated 

 zinc, and leave it on top of cloth with a 

 hole in it at one corner, turned back so 

 the bees can come to the queen, and 

 watch that if she is not balled, which 

 very seldom happens. The bees will 

 feed the queen, and after a day, let 

 them out, and they will find their way 

 down below. Jas. R. Bellamy. 



Black Bank, Ont. 



Drones and their Importance, Etc. 



The Rev. W. P. Faylor's comment 

 upon drones as useful insects is very 

 good. I have not discovered that they 

 were any use in a colony of bees, only to 

 fertilize the queen, and to show the api- 

 arist that the colony is not short of 

 honey ; for the bees will tell you them- 

 selves that they have no use for drones 

 after swarming ceases, as it is shown 

 that they run them out of the hive, and 

 cause them to lie outside of the hive, not 

 wanting their heat or company. One of 

 the most profound apiarists of Illinois 

 (and that is Mr. Dadant), says that 

 drones will consume about a dollar's 

 worth of honey to the hive, and I would 

 rather believe that than to believe they 

 would produce that much by their pres- 

 ence in the hive. I have a Hamburg 

 chicken that eats them, and is getting 

 " drone-fat." The bees now are killing 

 off the drones, and my poor Hamburg, I 

 am afraid, will starve for want of drones 

 this winter. Geo. Poindexter. 



Kenney, Ills., Sept. 29, 1892. 



Helpful Though. Unconscious Service. 



MARGARET J. PRESTON. 



"The bee"— she sighed— "that haunts the 

 clover. 



Has Nature's errand to fulfill ; 

 The bird that skims the azure over 



Bears living seeds within his bill : 



'• Without a pause his flight pursuing, 

 He drops them on a barren strand, 



And turns, unconscious of the doing, 

 The waste into a pasture land. 



" I, craving service— willing, choosing 



To fling broadcast some golden grain- 

 Can only 6it in silent musing 

 And weave my litanies of pain." 



I, making answer, softly kissed her : 

 " All Nature's realm of bees and birds— 



What is such ministry, my sister, 

 Compared with your enchanted words ? 



" The seed your weakened hand is sowing 



May ripen to a harvest broad, 

 Which yet may help, without your knowing, 



To fill the granaries of God !" 



— Lippincott's. 



The Use of Old Combs. 



We have usually discouraged the use 

 of full-drawn combs, especially if some- 

 what soiled in section-boxes, as such will 

 seldom produce first-class honey, and are 

 of doubtful economy at best. We have 

 usually advocated to use all good brood- 

 combs to hive swarms on. The past sea- 

 son, however, has somewhat shaken our 

 faith in the wisdom of that policy. It is 

 true that much depends on the season 

 and the time that swarms are to bo 

 hived. 



In June, during a good honey-flow, I 

 am satisfied it would be more profitable 

 to use only from one to three combs, and 

 the balance of the frames filled with 

 foundation. We would use full sheets, 

 as the bees use entirely too much drone- 

 comb, when starters only are used. 



