132 QUEENS. 
persistent experiment will overcome present obstacles, and 
achieve the desired result. An earnest wish may prompt 
this opinion, for, if successful, the result must be a higher 
standard of purity, and an excellence not otherwise to be 
attained. 
REARING QUEENS. 
WHEN TO REAR, 
The first step necessary is to secure a supply of drones 
from such stocks as may have been chosen for the pur- 
pose. It is usually better to select such swarms the sea- 
son previous, furnish them drone comb, and mark them 
so as to identify them. As in most other active opera- 
tions of the apiary, the time at which queens may be prof- 
itably reared, will vary in different seasons and localities. 
It will be seen that I do not advocate as early operations 
as many writers. I have sometimes succeeded in stimu- 
lating swarms to unusually early breeding, but such 
efforts have never resulted profitably. 
In a climate like Central New York I shall not advise 
rearing queens before apple blossoms appear, which is 
here from the 12th to the 20th of May. 
Swarms that are queenless before this time should be 
united with others that have queens. Even at this date 
queen-rearing will be found somewhat vexatious, especially 
if the weather is unfavorable, and the usual scarcity of 
honey follows, as it will necessitate feeding. 
The nuclei will also need to be much stronger at this 
time, than later in the season. if it is desired to rear 
Italian queens at such times as native drones will not in- 
terfere, it may often be done by stimulating. Italian colo- 
nies to early breeding in spring; or a native stock may 
have Italian drone-brood given it towards fall, and if they 
are kept queenless, they will keep their drones late in the 
season, after the native drones are destroyed. I have suc- 
