TIIK TTAI.IAN BT?K 
32T 
To secure the requisite lunnber of drones, part of the 
Italian drone-hrood should be given to some of the nuclei, 
BO that, in case the parent-stock kills its drones, others 
may be on hand. If the Apiarian removes the queen 
from this colony before the drones are killed, the bees 
■>vill tolerate their presence much longer. The same 
object may also be accomplished by liberal feeding as 
soon as natur.al forage fails (p. 224). 
Dzierzon found that a queen which had been refri¬ 
gerated for a long time, after being brought to life by 
warmth, laid only male eggs, whilst previously she had 
also laid female eggs. Bcrlepsch refrigerated three 
queens by placing them thirty-si.v hours in an ice-house,* 
two of which never re^vived, and the third laid, as before, 
thousands of eggs, but from all of them otdy males were 
evolved. In two instances, Mr. Mahan has, at my sug¬ 
gestion, tried similar experiments, and with like results. 
It does not seem to have occurred to the German 
Apiarians that by this refrigerating process we may 
secure as many Italian drones as we need. All that is 
necessary is to convert by it one or more of the queens 
of the nuclei into drone-layers. The reception of an 
Italian queen quite late in the season may thus be turned 
to good account. 
If the Apiarian is in the vicinity of hives to which he 
cannot apply the non-swarmer, it will be necessary for 
him to seek some place where the common drones cannot 
interfere with his proceedings. Unless the breed is kept 
jnire, the advantages proposed by its introduction cannot 
be secured. 
Italian queens may be safely sent in my hives to any 
])art of the country. A hive for this purpose should be 
* A short exposuro of a queen to poiimled lee and salt, will answer every pur" 
posH The sLerinatozouls are In some way rentlored inoperative by severe cold. 
