9H 
GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
Sett. 
OCR OWN APIARY. 
WHJO-day, July 30th, after getting our Aug- 
ust number all safely in tlic Post Office — 
we always feel as if we had got the washing 
done and ironing too for that matter (as the 
women say) when they are all printed, ad- 
dressed, wrapped, arid tied in their respective 
bundles — well, after this was all done, as we 
were saying, we repaired to the Apiary which 
had been for about three days pretty nearly 
running itself. Now before telling you of the 
wonderful sight that met our “optics," we 
shall have to remark that our friend Dean had 
just one week ago to-day, brought, us a box of 
bees, to be exchanged for brood from our im- 
ported Queen. Well, we took out three combs, 
and cut the eggs out of the centre of each — D. 
only uses eggs for all his Queen-rearing— and 
then just for fun we put these three combs into 
an empty hive, and after filling it out with 
seven more containing stores only, we poured 
the bees he had brought, in front of the hive, 
and straitway had a fine colony, for he in his 
generosity had brought about a peak. These 
bees he had obtained from different hives and 
as he had hastily shaken them from the combs, 
of course they comprised all ages. Now the 
big wonder we have been so long trying to tell 
was, that we counted on these three combs, 
Queen cells to the number of— to be exact, 
Novice found fifty eight, but P. G. only made it 
forty nine, but ’twas nearly night, and she says 
she skipped some that weren’t good ones, “as 
if she could tell by the looks of the outside,” 
Novice says. Well as part of them are very 
close together we shall get out our “conserva- 
tory hatching machine” and then we’ll tell all 
about how many good ones there were. 
Aug. 3rd — Yesterday was Sunday. That is 
one fact ; another is that it was the tenth day 
since our mammoth lot of Queen cells were 
started. In anticipation that something might 
happen to make Sunday work necessary to 
save them, about a dozen hives were located 
and furnished with combs late Saturday even’g. 
About half past five on Sunday morning. Nov- 
ice arose put on a dean pair of linen pants etc., 
washed his face and proceeded to wipe it and 
comb his hair as usual while he sauntered 
about among the hives and grape vines. After 
finding all on duty apparently as they should 
be, he proceeded to enjoy the tranquility of the 
early Sabbath morning by reading his favorite 
papers seated in the camp chair beneath one 
of the Lombard plum trees. It may not have 
been purely accidental, his having chosen a 
seat nearly in front of the hive containing the 
Queen cells ; these lie proposed examining a 
little later in the day, but intended to keep 
them until Monday if practicable. As lie sat 
reading, his eyes wandered occasionally toward 
the entrance and finally to get a fair view of 
every thing brought out by the bees, lie got the 
broom and commenced sweeping away the im- 
mature plums and leaves that had dropped 
about the hive. Suddenly he stops and ejacu- 
lates, “As sure as you’re alive that is a dead 
Queen, and here’s another.” Away went the I 
papers ; one of the Queens that seemed alive 
was placed in the sun in a cage, and then the 
hive was examined. A fine Queen was para- 
ding the combs and perhaps a dozen cells were 
torn open, or had the lids hanging. Four 
Queens were found “loose,” two of which wen 
fighting; like friend Grimm of old, he tumbled 
these a yard apart in the grass, and the other 
two w T ere put on separate combs, which wen- 
carried to new hives, bees, brood and all. Our 
bee house stove was wlieclcd out, tlic tiu Sim- 
plicity hive with hollow walls, mentioned a 
year ago, was placed upon it and the lamp 
lighted. In this the two combs containing the 
cells were placed, after shaking off the bees, 
and four more nice Queens were found scat- 
tered about, after all was done. In fact Nov 
ice soon began to examine every bee found 
crawling on the ground, thinking it might be 
a Queen. Five more Queens were hatched 
during the day, and as fast as they hatched 
they were given to nuclei hastily extemporized 
by placing three combs of hatching brood, bees 
and all, in one of the new hives, or given to 
Queenlcss colonies. Toward evening to dis- 
pose of the last one a black Queen was killed 
from one of our natural swarms, and the 
young Queen placed almost the same instant 
on the same comb she had occupied. To-day 
we find her all right and no Queen cells star- 
ted. Is not that a simple way of introducing? 
The whole operation scarcely taking three 
minutes. With the 'Simplicity hives we fre- 
quently open the hive and find the Queen in 
one. minute. 
To- day about a half dozen more have hatch- 
ed, and we have increased our number of stocks 
to 54. 
Aug 4th — Sixteen more fine strong active 
Queens have hatched, and we have 61 colonies, 
and more Queens that we know not what to 
do with. We could very easily turn them into 
dollars if they were fertile, but the problem is 
to get bees to care for them until this be ac- 
complished ; we have already gone further than 
we intended increasing, and begin to fear w< 
may not be equal to the task of making all 
strong for winter. We And ourselves often 
wondering if it be really possible that Queens 
just hatched can really be put safely in any 
colony of bees, without any bother of caging. 
Our experience has been for the last three 
days, the same as last year, that Queens 
hatched without been, can be placed in any 
Queenless hive, under any circumstances with 
impunity. As they have seen no oilier bees, 
they at once hasten to those presented them 
with perfect- confidence, and this confidence is 
seldom a mistaken one for the bees receive 
them with a manner that seems to imply. 
“Well, she must have been hatched in our hive, 
for how else could she get here in that shape ? 
Aug. 1th — As our colonies now number sixty 
eight, we think it is about time to stop, and 
direct what skill we are possessed of to kcepvm 
what we have. For the past two days om 
plan of making colonies has been something ns 
follows ; As soon as a Queen is hatched in our 
nursery we proceed to any full colony, and 
lift out the comb containing the Queen; then 
with thumb and three fingers of each hand, we 
lift out at once three combs, brood, bees and 
all, and carry them gently to a new hive. Al- 
ter dropping the newly hatched Queen on top 
of these frames among the bees the swarm is 
made, and we have only to put empty combs 
| in both hives until they are full again. 
