186 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



any more sure way could be devised to injure our colonies 

 than the dollar queen business, which has for some years 

 been so extensive. It is quite probable that much of the 

 superiority of Italian bees is owing to the careful and judi- 

 cious selection in breeding. Such careful selection in breed- 

 ing, either with black or Italian bees, is what will augment 

 the value of our apiaries. 



The tendency of the dollar queen business is to dissemi- 

 nate the inferior queens, many of which will appear in every 

 apiary. These should be killed, not sold. Yet, many an 

 apiarist will think even the poorest queens are worth a dollar. 

 My friend, Mrs. Baker, bought a dollar "Albino " queen last 

 season which was not worth a cent. Yet it cost only a dollar, 

 and, of course, no satisfaction could be secured or even asked 

 for. I think it behooves apiarists to reflect on this matter, 

 and see if dollar queens are not very dear. I have thrown 

 away three dollars on them, and have concluded to pay more 

 and buy cheaper in future. 



I believe our queen-breeders should be encouraged to give 

 us the best ; to study the art of breeding, and never send 

 out an inferior queen. In this way we may hope to keep 

 up the character of our apiaries, and the reputation of 

 Italians. Else we are safer under the old system where 

 "natural selection" retained the best, by the "survival of 

 the fittest." 



HEARING AND SHIPPING QUEENS. 



I have already explained the matter of. queen-rearing. 

 After many inquiries, and some experience, I much doubt if 

 any apiarist can afford to rear queens, such as apiarists wish 

 to buy, for less than four or five dollars. Only the best 

 should be sold, and no pains should be spared by the breeder 

 to secure such queens. 



TO SHIP QUEENS. 



This is a very simple matter. We have only to secure a 

 square block two inches each way, and one and a half inches 

 deep — a hole bored into a two-inch plank to within a quarter 

 of an inch of the bottom serves admirably. 



