State Bee-Keepers' Association. 107 



center of those first filled with brood, and if the bees are not disturbed, they 

 will be spread evenly over the surface, when the queen will be easily recognized 

 and can be picked up with the fingers. If the bees become alarmed the 

 queen, being the most shy and retiring, will seek to conceal herself by hiding in 

 a mass of bees in the corners of the hive, or anywhere, that she may be out 

 ol sight, when a close scrutiny will be needed to discover her. If you do not 

 succeed in finding her return the entire mass to the hive, and make the effort 

 at some future day, or divide the swarm, putting one- half the contents in the 

 empty hive, and, if possible, the greatest number of bees. Separate the 

 combs in each, putting in only half the number, or even less would be prefer- 

 able. 



In a few minutes the bees will become quiet, and the queen will leave 

 her hiding place, her locality being readily detection by the quietness of the 

 bees near her, and their restlessness on the other combs. The combs must 

 now be returned to the hive in the position they occupied before being re- 

 moved. When the bees are returned to the hive destitute of a queen they 

 will at once commence operations to remedy the detect, by converting some 

 of the worker larvae into queens, which can only be done before the seventh 

 day, as at about that time all the eggs left have passed the stage when it 

 will be possible to change them thus. 



The combs must be again removed, and all royal cells that contain larvae 

 cut off, as the safety of the new queen depends largely on their entire re- 

 moval. Mr. L. A. Aspinwall, gives a very simple and easy process, that ot 

 "immersing the queen in a little honey, slightly warmed, if necessary, and 

 dropping her among the bees, they immediately commence licking her off, 

 and forget that she is a usurper." 



THE HIVE. ^ 



Next in importance to the bees is the hive, and as the whole land teems 

 with bee-hive sharks who are continually introducing their worthless wares 

 on the ignorant and innocent bee-keeper, and I am compelled to say that 90 

 per cent, are entirely valueless as bee homes, I believe that it is generally 

 conceded by practical apiarians that the Rev. L. L. Longstroth has accom- 

 plished more to advance the science of apiculture in the introduction of the 

 movable frame than the combined ingenuity from the first introductton of 

 hives to the present time. It has never been my good fortune to obtain a 

 movable comb frame so cheap and simple, and at the same time so easily 

 removed from the hive as the Langstroth frame. A good hive should 

 possess the following points, viz. : ist, cheapness; 2d. simplicity; 3d, dura- 

 bilitv; 4th, as good for winter as summer; 5th, that the combs may be 

 removed without injuring or irritating the bees; 6th, that the bees may have 

 free access to the surplus honey arrangement; 7th, that the surplus honey 

 may be removed without injuring or irritating the bees and be in a market- 

 able condition; 8th, that the bees may be able to store every ounce of honey 



