THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 





QUEEN REARING METHODS. 



BY J. M. DAVIS. 



One System may be Better Adapted to one Man's needs 

 Than Another, but System is Imperative. 



"L,et all thingrs be done 



"^./OUR Advanced Bee Culture was re- 

 "^ ceiveil some time ago. It is well got- 

 ten up, but my Dear Hutch., I must call 

 you a back number on a few points; which, 

 of course, you will take as good naturedly 

 as I intend it. 



STRONG NUCLEI FOR QUEEN RE.-VRING. 



I have had time to read only a little, 

 and very naturallj-, I first turned to your 

 queen rearing chapter; and I will just jab 

 you a little on this department. Of 

 course, we all don't see through the same 

 glasses, and mine need clearing as often 

 as any one I ever met. 



Firstly, I am of the opinion, formed on 

 experience and close observation, that 

 strong nuclei rear stronger, more vigor- 

 ous, and longer lived queens. 



I..\MP NURSERY TOO MUCH WOBK. 



Secondly, the lamp nursery is too much 

 trouble. And the idea of "shining" cells, 

 (holding them up to the light) to see 

 whether the chicken kicks — My ! My ! 

 Were I to do that I would have to work 

 48 hours a day. 

 .ADVANTAGES OF THE DOOLITTLE PLAN. 



Were you once to work on Doolittle's 

 plan, you would drop the method named. 

 I have had half a dozen Doolittle cells 

 hatch while cutting them off the stick, 

 when I failed to get them out at the prop- 

 per time. If well understood, larvae csax 

 be so selected as to have all queens hatch 

 within a few minutes. This season I have 

 u.sed only drone combs for cells, as it 

 takes too much time to make artificial 

 cells; besides, I l)elieve bees like the drone 

 comb better. So far, I have taken off 

 and distributed over 2,000 cells this sea- 



decentlv and in order." 

 son; and to have made all of these would 

 have been a job. 



PIN-DIAL-RECORDS VERSUS THE 

 BOOK PLAN 



Now I will punch you softly on your 

 record keeping. I will vouch for it that 

 Roots have abandoned the old A. I. Root 

 card. I have a few hundred of them that 

 have never been unpacked, and I will 

 send them free to any one who will pay 

 the postage. I used a few packs but soon 

 discarded them. They will answer for a 

 very small business, or for a man rearing 

 a few queens for his own use. but not for 

 a breeder. For several years I have used 

 a flexible-back book, such as are used 

 for counter books. All my new nuclei 

 are in Dovetailed hives, with a divison 

 board in the center, and entrance at each 

 end. (A is front, and B is rear) My book 

 is kept like enclosed, sheet, [see next 

 page] I can sit in the shade and tell exact- 

 ly where to go for any kind of a queen, 

 without having to go bending my back in 

 the hot sun looking at record cards. 



Now Bro. H., I have written this just 

 to get your attention, while I think of it, 

 so you can study the matter over, and by 

 the time you decide to put out a new edi- 

 tion I think you will see where you can 

 improve some along this queen rearing 

 line. 



Spring Hill, Tenn. July i, 1902. 



[Friend Davis, criticisms made in the 

 spirit that yours are made, are among the 

 most welcome things that come to this 

 office. They afford an' opportunity for ex- 

 planation, and sometimes bring out valua- 

 ble points that would otherwise have been 

 overlooked. 



