QUEENS. 133 
ceeded in rearing fine Italian queens as late as October, 
when the weather was very fair, which were fertilized by 
such selected drones. 
I think it wise, as a rule, not to attempt to rear any 
great number of queens until June, when the interval of 
scarcity after apple-blossoms has passed, and the subse- 
quent flow of honey has commenced. The point which I 
desire to impress is this, that queen-rearing should be 
carried on, as far as possible, when the bees are gathering 
honey most abundantly. There is probably no more 
auspicious time than during the swarming period. I 
would avail myself of every opportunity to preserve the 
oldest and best developed queen cells, from suitable stock, 
where preparations had been made for swarming. 
HOW TO REAR QUEENS. 
I here give place to a paper by M. Quinby, which has 
received the hearty approval of many of our most capable 
bee-keepers. He says: 
<« # * * JT have studied well the conditions that 
produce good queens, as well as inferior ones, and I have 
never yet found a queen that will 
duplicate herself on every occa- 
sion, unless it is one of the com- 
mon variety. I can count a few 
dozen, perhaps, after which will 
be some variation. I have settled 
down pretty much on one system : 
‘First, make a nucleus box, 
five inches wide, seven inches 
long, and six inches high, hold- 
ing, at least, three combs (fig. 
56). These combs should contain honey’ enough to 
last two or three days, or more. Now, go to the hive 
from which you are breeding, and obtain a piece of 
worker-brood comb, nearly three inches long and about 
Fig. 56.—NUCLEUS BOX. 
