Dollar Queens Preferred. 271 



Valentine has given us a valuable "comb stand" (Fig. loi j. 

 As will be seen this holds two frames. The platform is 

 handy to receive tools, and the drawer serves well to hold 

 scissors, knife, queen cages, etc. 



Mr. M. G. Young has invented an "Easel" (Fig. loi) 

 for the same purpose. This will hold several combs. Of 

 course it will not do to leave combs thus exposed, except 

 when the bees are busy in the field ; or we will have great 

 trouble with robber bees. 



TO GET OUR ITAI.IAN QUEENS. 



At present the novice, and probably the honey producer 

 who prefers to purchase rather than rear his queens, better 

 send to some reliable, experienced breeder, and procure 

 ^'dollar queens." Unless these are impurely mated, which 

 will rarely happen with first-class breeders, they are just 

 as good as "tested queens." Testing only refers to the 

 matter of pure mating. 



I have felt, and still feel, that this cheap queen traffic 

 tends to haste, not care, in breeding, and that with "dollar 

 queens" ruling in the market, there is lack of inducement 

 for that careful, painstaking labor that is absolutely requisite 

 to give us the best race of bees. It is justly claimed, how- 

 ever, in favor of the "dollar queen" business, that it has 

 hastened the spread of "Italian bees, gives those who rather 

 buy than rear their queens a cheap market in which to pur- 

 chase, and, best of all, weeds out of the business all but the 

 most skillful, cautious, and honest breeders. Only skillful 

 men can make it pay. Only cautious, honest men can find 

 a market for their stock. We know that men are making 

 a handsome profit in the business and at the same time are 

 giving excellent satisfaction. This is the best argument in 

 favor of any business. I repeat, then, that the beginner 

 better purchase "dollar queens" of some rehable breeder — 

 one who has made queen rearing a success for years, and 

 given general satisfaction. 



I have feared that this " cheap queen " traffic would crush 

 the hard effort, requiring study, time, money, and the most 

 cautious experiment and observation, necessary to give us 

 a very superior race of bees. There is reason to hope now 



