QUEEN-REARING 
G89 
into water, after which he plunged it about 
9-16 of an inch into the melted wax. He 
then lifted it up and twirled it at an angle 
(waxed end lower) in his fingers. When cool 
he dipped it again, but not quite so deep, 
and twirled it as before. He proceeded thus 
until the cup was dipped seven or eight 
times, but each time dipping it less deep, 
within 1-32 inch of the previous dipping. 
The main thing is to secure a cup having a 
thick heavy bottom, but which will have a 
thin and delicate knife edge at the open 
top, or at that point where the bees are 
supposed to begin where man left off work. 
After the last dipping is cooled, a slight 
pressure of the thumb loosens the cell cup 
slightly. It is then dipped once more, and 
before cooling it is attached to a comb or 
stick designed to receive it. 
grafting cells. 
A small particle of royal jelly is inserted 
in every queen-cell. The amount in each 
should be about equivalent in bulk to a 
double-B shot, said Mr. Doolittle. But it 
has been found that a much less quantity 
will answer. Out of an ordinary queen-cell 
well supplied with royal jelly one can get 
enough to supply 20 cups. This royal jelly 
should come from some queen-cell nearly 
ready to seal, as that will contain the most. 
It should be stirred to bring all to about 
Supplying cells with royal jelly. 
the same consistency, after which it may 
be dipped out of the cells by means of a 
stick whittled like an ordinary ear-spoon, 
or a toothpick. 
The next operation is to take a frame of 
young larvas just hatched from the eggs 
of the best breeding queen. Each little 
grub should be lifted up with the aforesaid 
ear-spoon, and gently laid on the royal 
food previously prepared in one of the cell 
cups. A larva should be given to every 
one of the cell cups in this manner, and 
when all are supplied they are to be put 
into the cell-building colony, to be ex¬ 
plained later.* 
REARING QUEENS IN LARGE 
NUMBERS. 
Thus far the original Doolittle system 
of rearing cells has been considered; 
and where one desires only a few for his 
own use he may find this method more con¬ 
venient than the one now to be described. 
But if he has any number to rear he should 
carry out the following plan. The method 
of preparing the colonies for cell-building 
will be the same. 
A B 
Cross-section of wooden cell-holder; cell cup par¬ 
tially pushed into place. 
Instead of dipping the cells one by one 
with a stick, or dipping several sticks at 
once, compressed cell cups are made on a 
plan originally devised by E. L. Pratt. 
With a suitable die, cells more nearly per¬ 
fect than can possibly be dipped by the 
slow process already described are punched 
out at the rate of 2,000 an hour. These are 
furnished by dealers, and, generally speak¬ 
ing, it would be better to buy cell cups than 
to attempt to make them by the dipping 
process. 
To facilitate general handling, the modi¬ 
fied Doolittle system calls for wooden cell- 
holders, which may, under certain circum¬ 
stances, be used as direct cell cups. 
These are cylindrical pieces of wood, % 
inch in diameter, % inch.long. A suitable 
drill of the same diameter as the compressed 
cell cup bores a hole into the end of the 
plug and nearly thru. One of the wax cups 
is then pressed down in the hole. A series 
of about a dozen of these plugs, each con¬ 
taining a cup is then stuck on a strip of 
wood by hot wax. The end of the plug 
*This work should be done in an atmosphere 
of 80 °. 
