32 



PRACTICAL QUEEN REARING 



Fig. 5. Grafting house in use by southern queen breeders. 



shown at Figure 5 is far more desirable. As will be seen in 

 the picture, the building is made of matched lumber and is 

 very tight. A seat is provided for the operator, and in front 

 of it a bench or table running across the building and about 

 two feet wide. This provides ample room for combs, tools, 

 etc., and one can work in comfort and at leisure. The entire 

 front abo^'e the table is composed of window sash, thus providing 

 an abundance of light. Some of these grafting houses, like the 

 one shown, are also provided with glass in the roof like a photog- 

 rapher's studio. It is well to provide a shutter to cover the 

 roof in extremely hot weather, or to protect the glass during 

 storms. A shade is also desirable for the front, to shut out too 

 much sunlight at times. A room four by six feet is amply 

 large for this purpose, and, by means of a small oil stove, it 

 can be kept warm in cool weather. This is important to pre- 

 vent the chilling of the larvae while grafting. Some of the 

 more extensive queen breeders find it necessary to graft cells 



