)05. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



sually sooner than in a large hive full 

 f bees. The queens may be left in 

 few of the small hives so as to 

 apply brood to keep up others if 

 ceded. I have no ax to grind, and 

 I give this for what it is worth. Also 

 le picture of this Dutchman's apiary, 

 hich will be improved next season. 



REPORT FOR 1904. 



Spring count, 102 colonies. Increas- 

 i to 200 colonies, four and a half tons 

 f honey, one-fourth comb. Bees in 

 ood shape for winter, and no foul 

 rood. 



I suppose some will feel like throw- 

 tg stones at me for condemning the 



offman frame, but please don't hurt 



e. Just one word, which also falls 

 oon the manufacturers of hives, etc.. 



QUEEN-REARING OBSTACLES. 



Suggestions as to How They May Be 

 Reduced or Overcome. 



By Arthur C. Miller. 



THE EDITOR'S recent comments 

 on the drawbacks to queen- 

 rearing in Florida have recalled 

 some of the drawbacks experienced 

 elsewhere. 



Hindrances to bringing queens to 

 maturity may be divided into two 

 classes, those within and those with- 

 out the hive. Those within relate to 

 the selection of the larva, its care 

 and perfect development and the sub- 

 sequent nourishment and environment 

 until mated. 



The external conditions have to do 



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j\w«tk\cftH^CE-ll^eti>tn 



MR. STAHLMANS APIARY. 



id that is the shabby division boards 

 lat are furnished with hives. Why 

 Dn't you make a solid board, at least 

 half-inch thick, with top-bar? 

 hen they woud not crawl all 

 vtr the bee yard in case you do hap- 

 sn to get one out of the hive long 

 lough to see how poor they are. 

 oly Moses! do wake up and improve 

 le division boards, such as I have 

 en lately. It makes a man hate him- 

 •If to use them. A great many 

 lings are made to sell and not for 

 ractical service. The fence separa- 

 ir is a good thing, only they should 

 ; nailed as well as glued, and a little 

 ore pains should be taken in putting 

 lem together. 

 So long, brother! 

 Gallupville, N. Y., Oct. 20, 1904. 



with the climatic conditions, presence 

 of predatory birds and insects, and 

 quantity and vigor of males. 



Consideration of the factors relat- 

 ing to rearing, up to the time the 

 queen emerges from the cell, may be 

 omitted from this article, but from 

 that period onward much may be ad- 

 vantageously said. In a normal col- 

 ony the young queen emerges into an 

 atmosphere of warmth and high hu- 

 midity and has accessible an abun- 

 dance of nutritious and, in a sense, 

 stimulative food. Such are the condi- 

 tions when the bees of their own 

 volition rear a queen either for swarm- 

 ing or supersedure. When man steps 

 in he must produce these same condi- 

 tions if he would meet with success. 

 In a warm and humid climate this is 



