FEBTILIZATION 1^ CONFINEMENT. 211 



or else sell merely as a fertile queen, at a reduced price. The desirabili. 

 ty of fertilization in confinement, so as to bo certain of purity, has been 

 long felt, but has. until recently been considered impossible, and even 

 now some are too incredulous to accept a fact, ' 'because I have not done U. ' 



Mrs. Tupper announced her success at artificial fertilization some 

 years ago, but being pressed by business cares — almost broken hearted — 

 and besides ridiculed for ner statements, she did not fully carry out her 

 experiments. She communicated her experience to others, who also 

 reported success in a number of cases, when the proper condition* 

 were secured. 



Mr. Jno. F. Lafferty, of Illinois, states that he has many times suc- 

 ceeded in sending out queens to mate by giving light on a bright day, 

 when she is two or three days old. The trouble in all attempts at artifi- 

 cial fertilization seems to be in ascertaining just when the queen is 

 ready to meet the drone . 



Many things indicate that the subject is about meeting with a success- 

 ful solution. One of our progressive appiarians informs me that he has 

 this year sueceeded, not only in fertilizing his queens in confinement, 

 but also in selecting the drone with which they shall mate. He has 

 described to us the process which is very simple and practicable, but as 

 he is already booked for a paper on ' ' Fertilization in Confinement " at the 

 National Convention, in October next, he will then make known his sys- 

 tem to the public. So much progress has been made in seemingly im- 

 possible matters, it seems strange that lovers of the art would, by un- 

 timely derision, check needed experiments and progress. 



