130 QUEENS. 
we sclect the finest stock to propagate from, if we expect 
to secure the best qualities. We also apprehend the ne. 
cessity of introducing from time to time, superior strains, 
and of breeding from parents not akin. Who can fail to 
perceive the injury that must have come to our native 
bees from two sources, viz., from being propagated from 
inferior stock, and from in-breeding ? 
A prime consideration then, preliminary to the proper 
rearing of queens, is, that at least two distinct strains of 
blood of best quality should be represented. This is 
casily done, if Italian stock is to be raised, by ordering 
tested queens from different breeders, who are known to 
have procured their stock from distinct sources. In pur- 
chasing such queens, do not hesitate to pay a good price 
for a first-class queen. Every breeder has queens which 
he values at high prices, and if you can secure one that a 
reliable dealer considers worth $5.00, you are fortunate, 
even when ordinarily good ones are selling for $2.00. 
It will be seen, as we procecd, that the quality of the 
strains from which the queens are to be reared, may be 
definitely determined, as the brood used may be taken 
only from colonies containing selected queens. But 
the characteristics of the drones by which these choice 
queens are to be fertilized, will be much more un- 
certain. 
It is true we can prevent the swarms from which we 
rear our queens, from producing drones, thereby setting 
one obstacle aside ; and it is also evident that we need not 
allow any but selected colomies to rear drones, by remov- 
ing drone combs, and destroying such drone brood as is 
objectionable. If any mature drones are in the way, 
they may be removed as follows: Cage the queen, 
brush all the bees from the combs into a box, and place 
over 1t a board, with an opening, across which are 
nailed strips of tin or zinc, precisely °/,, in. apart. 
‘These openings will permit the workers to pass into the 
