1883 



GLIJANLNGS IN BEE CULTUllE. 



599 



queen. The caged queen, also a virgin, was cordial- 

 ly received — not simply ignored, as is usually the 

 case with such juveniles. Had the other queen been 

 in a laying condition, possibly the reception might 

 have been otherwise than cordial. What think you, 

 friend Root? 



The bees in this section are gathering just now 

 from buckwheat and wild hemp in the early morn- 

 ing, and later on in the the day from polymnia, or 

 stickweed, ironweed, and touch-me-not. I have 

 failed to see them working on goldenrod, though 

 we have it in oadless profusion. My bees are now 

 bringing in a deep orange-colored pollen. I wonder 

 what flowers it can be from. 



H. Stillington G. Stephenson. 



Charlemont, Va., SoiJt. 7, 1883. 



'J'hank you for the interesting facts you 

 furnish, friend S. I have long been aware 

 that young queens tly out after they are im- 

 pregnated ; but why they do this I am una- 

 ble to explain. It is also pretty certain that 

 they become impregnated the second time. 

 I should cure them of refusing to rear cells, 

 by giving them several combs of brood — 

 enough, in fact, to hatch out a better gener- 

 ation of bees.— I did not understand friend 

 Doolittle to say that a royal cell is never torn 

 dow^n when put in the i)iace of one already 

 built. I know that the bees will sometimes 

 accept the queen where they have one al- 

 ready ; but where they will keep two queens 

 right along, the case is an exceptional one. 

 I think that much depends on the temper of 

 the bees. We usually find some hives in 

 our yard that will accept of any queen ; and 

 1 think verv likely that such a one would ac- 

 cept and take care of two queens, provided 

 the two queens did not molest each other. 



QUEENS ACROSS THE ATL.ANTIC, BY 

 MAIL. 



HOW DOOLITTLB DID IT. 



^I]OME time during last winter, Mr. Angus Came- 

 ^^ ron, of Scotland, wrote me that he wanted one 

 of my best queens sent him by mail, during the 

 summer of '83, if I was willing to try the experiment 

 of sending one in that way. I wrote him, that al- 

 though I had little faith in getting a queen alive 

 through the mails to him, yet I was willing to test 

 the matter; and if I did not succeed, I would stand 

 the loss of queen. Accordingly, on the morning of 

 Aug. 1st I made a cage as follows: I got out a bass- 

 wood stick, 2 in. square and 6 in. long; % inch from 

 either end I bored a 1-inch hole nearly Through, into 

 which the candy was to be placed. I now turned 

 the block }i over and bored two I',4-inch holes, 1-16 

 of an inch toward the center, from the two 1-inch 

 holes at the ends, which made the two 1^2-inch holes 

 come together. I next poured melted wax into the 

 holes on either end, so as to prevent the moisture 

 in the candy from soaking into the wood, after 

 which I cut a Ps hole through each into the V-A hole, 

 as a means for the bees to get the feed. I next 

 made the candy by taking pulverized sug^ir, and 

 stirring honey into it till it got rather thick to stir. 

 I then took to kneading it till I had it so I could roll 

 it into a ball (as we boys used to pack snowballs), and 

 placed it in a saucer, having it i-etain its shape, ex- 

 cept flattening a little on the under side where it lay 

 on the saucer. If it would not do this, I kneaded io 



more sugar till it would. This is the way I have 

 made all my candy for queen-cages this season, and 

 I have not lost any, except one that I think was in- 

 jured before she left. I have sent several to Texas, 

 California, and even as far as Oregon, without loss; 

 hence [ have been particular in telling how I made 

 the candy. I next filled the waxed holes with this 

 candy, pounding it in with a stick till the holes were 

 full within ]s inch, when a cork was driven in, thus 

 preventing any escape of the honey. At about 11 

 o'clock I caught the queen, together with 25 worker 

 bees which were about six to eight days old, as near- 

 ly as I could judge, and placed them in the cage, 

 tacking wire cloth over the top of the IM holes. In 

 catching bees to ship by mail, I always take those 

 filling themselves with honey, waiting till they are 

 nearly filled. After tacking down the wire cloth on 

 the cage, I placed it, wire cloth down, on two Jg-inch 

 strips, and left it till next morning, thus allowing 

 the queen to rid herself of eggs, and the bees to 

 clean the cage all out, so they would not be trying 

 to carry out little pieces of wood and dirt on their 

 journey. At 6 o'clock the cover was nailed on, 

 which was a strip 3-16 thick, and covered the whole 

 of the block on the side where the wire cloth was, 

 except two % holes, one over each VA hole. The 

 whole was now wrapped in strong manilla paper, 

 except the two ?i-inch holes, thoroughly tied with a 

 strong string, and a tag bearing the address tied 

 thereto. At Mr. Cameron's suggestion I registered 

 it, 80 as to secure safe delivery after it passed the 

 boundary of the U. S., as queens are not supposed 

 to pass in the foreign mails. At 7 o'clock on the 

 morning of Aug. 2d the queen left for her home in 

 the Old World, and I awaited the result. The eve- 

 ning of Sept. 4th brought this letter from friend 

 Cameron: 



You have done it, my friend! you have done it! 

 Shortly after 8. on the morning of the 16th inst., I 

 received the package containing the queen bee. 

 Vou may be sure I very quickly peered inside, and 

 as quickly bad the satisfaction of seeing probably the 

 fiist live hee that ever crossed the Atlantic in the mails. 

 I delayed as little as possible before I opened the 

 cage, or royal palace — for such it proved to be — 

 clean, sweet, and in perfect order. On opening I 

 found the queen in splendid trim, as were her at- 

 tenriant bees. Two only of the bees were dead. The 

 candy was not half eaten, and it had kept its place 

 in the cage. No spot of dysentery; in short, every 

 thing was first class. I allowed the queen her liber- 

 ty in the hive, and this morning, while I held the 

 frame in my hand, I saw her deposit eggs. Success 

 to her. With kindest regards, and many thanks for 

 sending her majesty, I am yours, etc., 



Angus Cameron. 



Blair Athale, Scotland, Aug. 18, 1883. 



I have been particular In giving all the minutias of 

 this, thinking that perhaps the plan might be im- 

 proved upon, so we might yet get queens from Italy 

 by mail, thus saving the heavy expense;;of import- 

 ing. G. M. Doolittle. 



Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 13,:i883. 



Well done, old friend! I am glad indeed 

 to know that the matter has been accom- 

 plished ; and when I first read your letter I 

 remarked to our proof-reader;.that it is no 

 wonder you succeeded, because you always 

 do your work so well and carefully that suc- 

 cess is pretty sure to come. I am rejoiced 

 to know, too, that it was done with the very 

 same bee- candy that we have been using 

 for more than a year past. There is one 

 thing greatly in your favor: the queen was 

 only 14 days on the route. If I am correct, 

 that was rather quick sailing. We have had 



