126 The Western Pomologist and Gardener. 1872 



labor on the part of the bees. On the failure of the basswood honey harvest, (which here 

 lasts about twenty days) we expected, and there was a dearth of honey for bees to collect. 

 If the queen tad not been removed, there would have been at that time a great excess of 

 bees, with a hive full of brood instead of honey, and although strong in numbers and giv- 

 ing a good amount of surplus, the swarm would doubtless have went into winter quarters 

 quite light in honey, but heavy with bee bread and far too many bees. The removal of 

 the queen lessened the production of brood, as the brood already in the cells matured and 

 came out, room was made for the rich harvest of honey from the basswoods. The 

 strength of the colony was maintained by the maturing brood coming from the combs. 

 The brood was soon sealed over, requiring no further care from the bees, and they could 

 and did give their entire attention to collecting honey. And lastly, we have a new queen 

 in place of the old one, and our swarm is now one of the best in our whole lot. 



Introducing C^oeen Bees. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — There is probably but one method of introducing 

 queen bees to queenless stocks that will invariaUy succeed ; and it is possible that may fail 

 occasionally. After having tried nearly every plan heard or read of, and lost many valua- 

 ble queens, the writer has concluded that the method described below is the only safe one 

 now practiced : 



To be sure of success you must have movable combs. Take from one or more colonies 

 three or four frames, containing sealed and hatching brood and honey ; leave all the adher- 

 ing bees on the combs, only be careful not to take a queen. Place these three or four 

 combs into an empty hive, at one side or end, and adjust the division board close to them- 

 Set the hive at considerable distance from all others, and leave it twenty-four hours. Now 

 if you are sure there is no queen present, this small colony is ready to receive a mother 

 bee ; but you must use the precaution to confine her in a wire-cloth cage, and place the 

 cage between two combs, near the center, and let it remain thirty -six or forty -eight hours. 

 At the end of this time remove the stopper from one end of the cage, and tie over it (the 

 open end of the cage) a .single thickness of newspaper, wet and sweetened with lioney. 

 Replace the cage and close the hive, and the bees will soon eat through the paper and lib- 

 erate the queen. Six days thereafter, be sure there are no queen cells in the hive. Build 

 up the colony by giving frames of sealed brood, with no adheilng bees, one each week. — 

 W. 0. CoNDiT, Soward Springs, Tenn. 



Insects Tor Identification. 



Entomological Ed. P. & G. — Enclosed please find some insect eggs. Those on the 

 apple- twigs are doubtless Katy-dids, and the others eggs of the Mantis Rdigioaa. Our little 

 friends, the lady bugs, are already on the alert and very numerous, especially the twelve- 

 spotted variety. Chinch bugs are sporting about in considerable numbers, and take the 

 wing on summer-like days. — Geo. Walters, Fort Scott, Kansas. 



Remarks. — The eggs spoken of came all right. Glad to receive such favors. Will 

 give them the proper attention. May Ijave more to say about them in the future. 



Ants in the Orchard and Garden. A correspondent of the California Agricultu- 

 rist says : " We see the ant pronounced a nuisance by some writers on agriculture, but 

 our experience and observation leads us to the contrary opinion. While they do little 'or 

 no actual damage to vegetation, they drive away and destroy lice and other insects which 

 would do serious damage. We have long looked upon the ant as a friend, and are glad to 

 see some others defending the industrious ant." 



New Parasite of the Spruce. — Much interest has been excited among botanists by 

 the rapid development upon the black spruce and balsam firs of Northern New York, of 

 a parasitic plant, belonging to the genus ArcenthoHum, related to the Mistletoe. 



