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THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



queen-cells, and when the queen-cells are capped take a 

 frame with queen-cell to be substituted for a frame in the 

 colony you wish to requeen. To be sure they may not destroy 

 the queen-cells so substituted, have an empty hive, take out 

 all the frames and place in it, and while so doing catch the 

 queen and pinch off her head. Then shake all the bees onto 

 the ground two or three feet from the old hive and replace 

 the frames, including the one that has the queen-cell, in the 

 old hive, allowing the bees to run into the old hive ; close up, 

 and the work is done. In case of more than one queen-cell on 

 the frame, they can be placed in other hives in the same man- 

 ner, by cutting out and inserting in the frames of the hive. In 

 this way you can treat as many colonies as you have queen- 

 cells. 'Sy using drone-traps, drones from objectionable colonies 

 may be caught. 



Mr. Smith — My plan is to select the best honey-gatherers, 

 and of the gentlest disposition. Stimulate during fruit-bloom. 

 As soon as the first swarm issues from it, exchange hives with 

 the next strongest one ; in this way you add to hive No. 1 all 

 the field-bees from the strong swarm, and in a few days the 

 young queens will issue from hive No. 1 with a prime swarm. 

 As soon as possible change the place of hive No. 1 a second 

 time with another strong colony, and continue this procedure 

 as long as you hear piping, or at least three colonies may be 

 requeened from each select colony with virgin queens from 

 prime colonies. 



BEGINNING WOKK ON WHITE CLOVER. 



Mr. Primm — How early can we expect our bees to begin 

 work on white clover ? 



Mr. Baxter — Bees seldom store honey from white clover 

 earlier than June 10. 



Mr. Becker — I have known of bees storing an abundance 

 of honey from white clover as early as May 20. 



INFALLIBLE METHOD OF INTRODUCING QUEENS. 



James T>oindexter — When we say infallible, we mean thai 

 with us it has been an unfailing process, when practiced dur- 

 ing the past 12 or 15 years, and shall claim the right to use 

 the above heading, until at least we meet with one failure. 



While we have not used the method exclusively, yet it has 

 been a success under very unfavorable conditions, such as 

 when colonies had been queenless for weeks, and in a few 

 instances laying workers were present in the hive when the 

 queen was released, and in times when honey was scarce and 

 robber-bees were plentiful. Also, it has been a success when 

 other methods tried on obstinate colonies failed. We will say, 

 however, that we did not give Dr. Miller's method of intro- 

 duction by baptism a trial. 



The success of the method is based on the principle that 

 animals, as a rule, are less belligerent, and more amiable with 

 a full stomach than otherwise. The genus homo and the 

 honey-bee being no exceptions. 



Our way of operation is this : First see that the colony 

 is queenless, and has plenty of honey for the bees to fill them- 

 selves with. Then get all the bees possible Inside, close the 



