!18 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



Direct Introduction of Queens 



(Continued from page 215) 



This plan lias had many endorse- 

 ments during the past season. I 

 have only given it a limited trial, 

 for I think I have something bet- 

 ter. This is the so-called "fasting 

 method" which we practice in our 

 own apiaries: — First, we see that 

 the colony is queenless, and if 

 there are queen cells present they 

 are removed. The queen to be in- 

 troduced is placed in a clean cage, 

 alone, and without food, and kept 

 out of reach of bees for about forty- 

 five minutes. Now move the cover, 

 or super, a little to one side, and 

 blow a light puff or two of smoke 

 in to drive the bees back. Then run 

 the queen in at the opening above 

 the frames and replace the cover. 

 Don't disturb the colony for a day 

 or two. We usually introduce about 

 sundown, as the bees are quieter 



at that time. 



This method has given uniform 

 success wherever carefully used. 

 Out of three hundred queens in- 

 troduced by this plan, at all seas- 

 ons and under varied conditions, 

 we only lost four, and these were 

 in colonies with laying workers. — 

 And I want to say here, that it 

 never pays to try to requeen such 

 a colony. — These queens, of which 

 a record was kept, included virgins, 

 queens from the mails, and queens 

 from other colonies in the yard. 



The scent factor, or colony odor, 

 has been much over-rated, and 

 much more seems to depend on the 

 attitude of the queen, than upon 

 the odor. If she is frightened, and 

 runs or squeals, the bees are apt 

 to ball her; but when hungry and 

 lonesome she begs for food, and a 

 begging bee. whether queen or 

 worker, is generally received any- 

 where. 



Developing the Bee-Keeping Industry 



By FllANK C. PELLETT, Atlantic, Iowa, 

 Vice President National liCe-Keeijers' Ass'n 



(Given at National Conventon St. 

 I^ouis, Feb. 17th, 1914) 



It is time for the bee-keepers to 

 set a new standard of values for 

 their own business. We have al- 

 ways been too conservative and too 

 much afraid to assert that bee- 

 keeping is a desirable occupation. 

 Too many are inclined to whine 

 about the danger of encouraging 

 too many beginners who will glut 

 the market with their product. This 

 being the case it is not surprising 

 that the public has come to regard 

 bee keeping as a pleasant occupa- 

 tion for old men who are incapitat- 

 ed for productive labor, or a healthy 

 diversion for tired business or pro- 

 fessional men, or yet a profitable 

 occupation for growing boys with no 

 better thing to occupy themselves. 

 The fact that our business is not 

 regarded as a man's size business 

 is our own fault. The public takes 

 us at our own estimation. 



Will you please give me a single 

 reason why honey production should 

 n.ot take rank with any other agri- 

 cultural occupation? Are not the 



bee keepers equal in intelligence or 

 moral standing to men engaged in 

 any other business? There is no 

 reason to be given: Bee keepers 

 rank high in intelligence and mor- 

 ally there is no single class of 

 men that are superior. The business 

 is open to those who have sufficient 

 capital to engage in many lines as 

 well as to those who because of ill 

 health cannot follow a more stren- 

 uous calling. 



Timid souls are always talking 

 about overstocking the market — 

 the over production of honey. There 

 is a danger of overstocking limited 

 areas of pasture but there is al- 

 ways unoccupied territory where 

 the bee-keeper can find elbow 

 room. As for over production of 

 honey what could be more foolish 

 so long as we are only producing a 

 pound or two of honey per capita 

 annually, Why we can develop our 

 own markets. Single counties can 

 be developed into honey consum- 

 ing centers that will consume tons 

 and tons of honey. There was much 

 talk about over production of ap- 



