THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



181 



bee world, to the evident delight of its citi- 

 zens. The same plan has been practiced by 

 8inimius witli this modification, the Doo- 

 little queen cell cage, witli a piece of foun- 

 dation at the entrance, was used. 



In the introduction of fertile queens it 

 would seem that the various methods had 

 been before the public so long that nothing 

 more could be said upon the subject, but the 

 continual unrest shows that more perfect 

 methods are needed. It seems that nearly 

 all methods are too wasteful of time for 

 this fast age. To wait 72, 3(), or even 24 

 hours, means the loss of several thousand 

 bees, and the frateuily will not .be satisfied 

 until we reach the perfection of introduc- 

 tion — ira mediately . 



The nearest and safest method yet prac- 

 ticed is to unqueen the colony at any time 

 during the day, then in the evening turn 

 back a corner of the quilt, and, with a puff 

 of smoke, send in the queen. Simmins and 

 I have practiced this with complete success. 



As to all ordinary methods, long or short, 

 in the honey flow or out, there is one to 

 which I have never taken kindly, and that is 

 to roll the queen in honey. A thorough 

 daubing with some kinds of honey results 

 disastrously to the queen by closing the 

 breathing spiracles. 



(^ne point touched upon and always re- 

 ferred to by bee keepers, is the scent. " The 

 queen must get the same scent as the col- 

 ony." How do we know it is the scent? If 

 a bee meets another bee, or a queen, the 

 ac(iuaintance is made by touching antennje, 

 and, as I understand, the point of the anten- 

 nje is only a feeling instrument while the 

 sense of smell or scent is further up on said 

 organ. Now, it appears to me to be the 

 same as when several ladies meet, the deli- 

 cious practice of kissing commences and it 

 is all harmonious until something objection- 

 able comes up. If a male should kiss the 

 prettiest woman what a commotion there 

 would be — and a lawsuit. So in the bee 

 hive, it is when this delicious intercourse, 

 which is neither smell or mere feeling, is 

 interrupted, that the balling commences. 



If a queen is to be introduced with a cage, 

 I prefer a simple, flat cage, that will hang 

 between the combs; and there is one vital 

 point not touched upon in the leader: What 

 is to be done with the escort bees? Any one 

 would suppose from reading the leader that 

 these escort bees were to be introduced with 

 the queen. I always remove them and have 



only the queen in the cage, for I am sure the 

 escort bees endanger the life of the queen 

 upon introduction, either by long or short 

 methods. 



Another point that has come up in my 

 experience is, allowing a bee to enter the 

 cage through a small opening, a la Morrison. 

 I have seen such bee s stung to death imme- 

 diately by the queen. I wish also to put in 

 a demurrer against Doolittle's invariable 

 box method. I have given such box of bees 

 a queen and jolted them over a road for 

 seven miles from an out apiary and then 

 had them set to and ball the queen. There- 

 fore, to sum up the matter, no set rules can 

 be given to the fraternity for the introduc- 

 tion of queens at all times and under all 

 circumstances. 



Three Methods of Fighting Adulteration. 



E. L. TAYLOB. 



fHESE are three ways in which it might 

 be reasonably suggested we can deal 

 with the fact of the adulteration of 

 honey. 



1st. By letting it alone so far as open hos- 

 tility is concerned. 



2nd. By actively prosecuting the retail 

 vendors of adulterated honey. 



'i>vd. By taking active steps for the detec- 

 tion and suppression of all concerns that 

 concoct and send out adulterated honey to 

 retailers under false labels. 



But it is well to understand that it is an 

 exceedingly difficult matter to deal with in 

 the way of legal prosecution. It may be 

 claimed to be somewhat analagous with the 

 business of counterfeiting money, but there 

 are wide differences between the two so far 

 as the ease of legal suppression is concerned. 

 The feelings, convictions and idiosyncracies 

 of the public must be considered, because 

 successful prosecution can be had only 

 through juries and jurors who come from 

 the public. All honest people, yes, and most 

 of the dishonest people, have an ineradicable 

 conviction that the emitting of counterfeit 

 money is a direct menace to their own finan- 

 cial interests, while it brings no honest ad- 

 dition to the wealth, support or comfort of 

 any individual, and so convictions readily 

 follow where evidence is to be had. 



How different is the case with the adulter- 

 ation of honey. The public cares nothing 

 about it. Everybody uses butter, but how 

 little do the people care about the sale of 



