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122 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



had an experience. I have had mine hauled home and put 

 in the cellar without a flight or anything, and I have had my 

 bees in my home yard carried into another cellar, and I 

 watched it very closely for I have heard a great deal about 

 that, and I have found no difference in the way the bees 

 winter. Those that were hauled home and put in at once 

 and not given a flight wintered just as well as those that 

 were set right in the yard. 



Mr. Thompson — Did you ever take them out in the same 

 manner from the out yard ? 



Mr. Wheeler— No, sir; I didn't do that. 



PLACE OF THE NEXT NATIONAL MEETING. 



Pres. York — How many prefer to have the next National 

 Bee-keepers' Convention at St. Louis? 



Dr. Miller — That question I see asked in the American 

 Bee Journal by Pres. Harris. 



After a long discussion, the result was as follows : 

 St. Louis, i8; San Antonio, none; Cincinnati, g; Salt Lake 

 City, none; and Boston, 2. 



SECOND DAY— AFTERNOON SESSION. 



QUEEN-REARING — TRANSFERRING LARV^. 



"What is the best method of transferring larvae from 

 worker-cells into queen-cells, and is royal jelly a necessity? 



Dr. Miller — Royal jelly is not a necessity under the right 

 way of manipulating, but I don't know what the best way of 

 transferring larvae is. The way that does for me is to take a 

 piece of grass, timothy stick, something of that kind, and cut 

 it into the form of a toothpick and dip under the larva in the 

 worker-cell and put it in the queen-cell. That's all there is of 

 that part of it. I don't know but what the queen-breeders 

 use something better, but the grass is always at hand and 

 I use that. 



Mr, Starkey^I don't know what is best, but if I don't 

 happen to have a spoon made for the purpose I take my 

 knife and split off splinters of soft wood, and cut it with a 

 toothpick point, and run through my fingers with the thumb- 

 nail on the back, and by that pressure I make it cup. It is 

 pliable, and when I push that down into the cell it will spring 

 under the larva and dip up, and it will very easily slide off 

 when I put it in the cup. The front part of the wood is cut 

 flat and the back I cut three-cornered — a flat triangle, and by 

 slipping it through my thumb it is made pliable. 



Mr. Wheeler — I prefer to let the bees do it. 



Mr. Duby — Is royal jelly a necessity? Some say it is 

 not, some say it is. There are perhaps some parties here 

 who have answers for this. Perhaps Mr. Stanley uses royal 

 jelly when he transfers. 



Mr. Stanley — Well, I don't know. I think it is. It is 

 a great start anywhere. They accept the cells better with it, 

 and there is nothing better than a toothpick to transfer the 

 larva, or a quill will answer the purpose. 



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